Effect of cue-target interval on the N2pc

The N2pc component of the event-related potential occurs when participants must select and process a lateralized visual target, often in the presence of one or more distractors. The goal of this research was to determine whether the N2pc reflects unique processing related to the treatment of the target or whether it reflects processing related to the presence of a distractor. The selection cue for the target was presented 100 ms earlier, at the same time as, or 100 ms later than the target itself. An earlier cue allowed earlier spatial selection, leading to less interference from the distractor. The results indicated that the offset of the N2pc was delayed when more interference from the distractor was expected.