A PDP approach to set size effects within the Stroop task: Reply to Kanne, Balota, Spieler, and Faust (1998)

In this reply, the authors point out that the simulations reported by S. M. Kanne. D. A. Balota, D. H. Spieler, and M. E. Faust (1996) did not incorporate mechanisms proposed to explain set size effects in J. D. Cohen, K. Dunbar, and J. L. McClelland (1990). The authors report a new simulation that incorporates these mechanisms and more accurately simulates S. M. Kanne et al.'s empirical data. The authors then point to other factors that could be explored in a more complete test of their model. The use of feed-forward rather than recurrent inhibition is discussed as a potentially important limitation of their original model. and recent work addressing this issue is described. The authors also discuss possible differences between word reading and color naming in the Stroop task. Although such differences may exist, the authors retain their earlier view that such differences do not reflect a dichotomy between automatic and controlled processing.