Selective suppression of taboo information in visual word recognition: Evidence for cognitive control on semantics.

The present study investigated the role of cognitive control on semantic information during visual word recognition by exploiting taboo stimuli in a lexical-decision task. We relied delta plots and electromyography (EMG) to assess different hypothetical mechanisms control. Previous research suggests that slow down performance across variety tasks due their attention-grabbing nature. One possibility is counteracts detrimental effects connotation actively dampening such prepotent yet task-irrelevant information. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found reversal interference effect slowest responses, signaling deployment selective suppression mechanism needs time fully accrue. For electromyographic data, focused partial errors (trials showing subthreshold activation incorrect response hand) index response-monitoring processes intervening prevent correct errors. no modulation likelihood and, more generally, accuracy as function connotation. Taken together, results suggest may intervene selectively suppress fast-acting distracting information, indicating controlled processing optimizes match task-relevant goals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).