The interactive effect between inhibition of return and flanker interference

Inhibition of return (lOR) refers to a slowed response to a target appearing at a previously attended location. Previous research has examined the effects of IOR on flanker interference. We investigated whether flanker interference effects onset time of IOR in discrimination tasks. The results showed that the onset time of IOR was approximately with previous research when distractor was absent, but it appeared advanced when distractor was present. However, onset time of IOR was the opposite in incompatible and compatible condition. IOR effect was significant when distractor identities was compatible at 950ms, but the facilitation effect was significant at 950ms when distractor identities was incompatible. The results indicated earlier onset time of IOR when distractor was presented or compatible with target, indicating that distractors makes the spatiotemporal correspondence between the cue and target integration. When distractor stimuli appeared at uncued locations, the standard flanker effect was found, exactly the opposite result occurred when distractors appeared at cued (inhibited) locations when SOA was 350ms, indicating that inhibitory tagging was applied to stimuli falling at cued positions.