FIGURE 1.

Canonical Flanker and load tasks. The Eriksen Flanker task, top two panels, has both congruent and incongruent conditions. In the Eriksen Flanker task, the target is always located in the center. In the load task, lower two panels, the Flanker is either above or below the stimulus array and the relevant load is determined by the relationship between the distractors in the linear array and the target; additionally, the target can appear at any one of the six linear locations. The targets in these examples (all the letter “Z”) have been italicized and underlined for distinction. Whereas the Flanker task employs response terminated displays, the load task uses brief exposure.