Magnocellular facilitation of flanked-letter identification disappears with strong flanker interference
Previously, we obtained evidence to suggest that the magnocellular system may reduce interference from flankers during flanked-letter identification. To understand this phenomenon better, we combined the data of our previous experiments, which all used the same flanking letter, and focused on the different target letters that were used. The new analysis showed that after an initial increase, magnocellular facilitation decreased and ultimately disappeared, as the target–flanker combination's level of interference increased. The initial increase was partly while the later decrease was fully replicated in two new experiments that focused on two different target letters while manipulating flanker identity. The outcome of a third new experiment studying the type of interference reduced suggested that although crowding contributed to total interference, it was insensitive to magnocellular mediation. Our results may be understood to reflect the involvement of the magnocellular system in an attentional-selection ...