Single‐prime negative priming in the shape‐matching task: Implications for the role of perceptual segmentation processes

Using the shape‐matching task developed by DeSchepper and Triesman (1996), Loula, Kourtzi, and Shiffrar (2000) demonstrated that negative priming only occurred in that task when minimal segmentation cues were available in the prime display. Loula et al. (2000) interpreted their results as revealing that negative priming in the shape‐matching task is directly caused by difficulty in segmenting the prime target from the prime distractor. We offer an alternative interpretation of their results, suggesting that a failure to observe negative priming when segmentation cues are present was incidental to the perceptual segmentation process. Instead, we provide evidence suggesting that an easier perceptual segmentation task contributes positive priming influences that makes a negative priming effect more difficult to observe. Once these positive priming influences are removed, we observed negative priming both when the perceptual segmentation task is trivial and when perceptual segmentation is not a component of the prime task at all.