Abstract
The Global Precedence Effect (GPE) is shown by improved or faster processing of global information over local information. For example, in compound stimuli where a larger shape is composed of smaller shapes, the large shape on the global level is processed faster and/or better than the smaller shapes on the local level. However, there is little evidence of a correlation between global/local processing tasks, such as Navon task that uses compound stimuli and the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) where target shapes are embedded within larger context figures. We hypothesize that the effect of meaningfulness on the GPE (the GPE is larger when Navon stimuli are meaningful) may also be shown in the EFT, providing evidence for a common mechanism for global and local processing in these tasks. Using compound stimuli (letters, objects, or non-object), we found better accuracy and faster response rates to meaningful stimuli (letters and objects). Although, the GPE was present in all three stimuli categories, it was reflected as higher accuracy at the global level in the object and the non-object stimuli and faster response to targets at the global level in the letter stimuli. We also found a higher accuracy rate in the EFT for meaningful and inversed meaningful than for non-meaningful stimuli, but faster responses to meaningful context figures compared to inversed meaningful and non-meaningful contexts. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between performance on the Navon task with letter stimuli and the EFT with meaningful and inversed-meaningful stimuli but not with EFT non-meaningful stimuli. Focusing on separating GPE into global interference and advantage components to study their relationships with EFT respectively in future research may allow a more complete understanding of the relationship of meaning and global and local processing.