Day 32 of 150 Pattern Difficulty 5/10
Integral dimensions cannot be filtered without a Garner cost
Quick answer
Integral dimensions cannot be filtered without a Garner cost. Today's question (Integral vs. separable dimensions) asks about a finding from Garner, W. R., & Felfoldy, G. L. in 1970. The correct option is Slower classification ("Garner interference") — full explanation, primary source, and glossary cross-links below.
Today's question
Garner & Felfoldy (1970) classified stimulus dimensions as integral (e.g., colour hue + saturation) or separable (e.g., shape + colour). Variation along an irrelevant integral dimension produces:
Reveal the answer and explanation
Correct: C — Slower classification ("Garner interference")
Integral dimensions are perceived as a unified whole — observers cannot ignore irrelevant variation in one without paying a speed cost on the other. Garner & Felfoldy named the slowdown "Garner interference." Separable dimensions (such as a shape's identity vs. its colour) can be selectively attended without cost. The integrality/separability distinction predicts which feature combinations support efficient visual search and which produce the conjunction-search slopes described by Treisman & Gelade.
About the source
Garner, W. R., & Felfoldy, G. L. (1970). Integrality of stimulus dimensions in various types of information processing. Cognitive Psychology, 1(3), 225–241.
Every Cognition Bible question cites a primary source — a paper, book chapter, or monograph that exists, that we can point to on Google Scholar, and whose finding the question accurately summarizes. No fabricated authority strings, no name-drops without paper-level grounding.
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