N2pc is modulated by stimulus–stimulus, but not by stimulus–response incompatibilities

Studies of the N2pc in Simon-type tasks have revealed inconsistent results. That is, N2pc was only modulated when a stimulus–stimulus (S-S) overlap covaries with the stimulus–response (S-R) overlap. The present study aimed to establish whether N2pc is modulated by the S-R or by the S-S overlap. Therefore, we designed a Simon task requiring response to a colour stimulus (an arrow) with two irrelevant dimensions (position and direction). The following conditions were thus generated: compatible direction–compatible position (CDCP); incompatible direction–compatible position (IDCP); compatible direction–incompatible position (CDIP); and incompatible direction–incompatible position (IDIP). In IDCP and CDIP, both irrelevant dimensions conveyed contradictory spatial information (S-S incompatibility), while compatibility between both irrelevant dimensions occurred in CDCP and IDIP (the direction indicated was compatible with stimulus position). The N2pc amplitude was smaller in IDCP and CDIP than in CDCP and IDIP, what suggests that N2pc was modulated by S-S incompatibility and not by S-R incompatibilities.

► Stimulus–stimulus (S-S) and stimulus–response (S-R) were dissociated in a Simon task.
► S-S overlap modulated the visuospatial processing (N2pc) in a Simon task.
► S-R overlap did not modulate the N2pc component in a Simon task.