Abstract
The galvanic skin response component of the orienting reflex (OR) was recorded for four groups of 11 Ss. They viewed seven numeric stimuli presented sequentially, then a test stimulus (TS) which was out of sequence by ±3 or ±15 units, followed by a resumption of the sequence. It was found that ORs to the TS were a function of the amount of disparity between that TS and the “expected” stimulus and that direction of that disparity was not an effective manipulation. There were no such systematic changes in OR recovery to the following in-sequence stimulus. The results were related to previous research using both numeric and simple sensory stimuli and to Sokolov’s account of the OR.
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This research was supported in part by a grant to the first author from the San Diego State College Foundation. Address requests for reprints to R. M. Yaremko, Department of Psychology, San Diego State College, San Diego, Calif. 92115.
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Yaremko, R.M., Keleman, K. The orienting reflex and amount and direction of conceptual novelty. Psychon Sci 27, 195–196 (1972). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328934
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328934