Multisensory information processing in military and non-military contexts

Abstract

The effect of military-related emotional words on information processing was investigated in unisensory (visual and auditory) and multisensory (audiovisual) contexts. Specifically, the research conducted for this thesis focused on how the emotional valence of words that are presented in both unisensory and multisensory formats can modulate information processing in both civilian and military participants. Due to the emotional connection with stimuli of a military nature, it was hypothesized that military words would significantly distract the military participants from the core experimental Stroop task, and consequently, they would take more time to respond and have a lower accuracy. The effect was expected to be greater in auditory and multisensory conditions given the emphasis on auditory communication in the military. Military and nonmilitary participants completed a modified affective Stroop task in visual, audio, and audiovisual modalities. As hypothesized, military words resulted in greater interference in the military sample, particularly for auditory and multisensory presentations. Accordingly, it appears that attention is captured to a greater extent for those with military experience when presented with stimuli associated with the military, especially in auditory or multisensory formats.