ABSTRACT
The welcome revival of mentalism in psychology did not eliminate one of the important constraints imposed on psychology during the behavioristic interlude. The amplitude of the P300 component is a manifestation of the activity of an intracranial process. By designing appropriate studies, it is possible to extend our understanding of the manner in which individuals allocate attention and of the rules whereby the subjective probability of events is determined. The theoretical difficulties concerning P300-latency-reaction-time correlations that Tueting summarizes disappear if proper consideration is given to the different processes that underlie reaction time. If there was a P300, the relation between P300 latency and reaction time is assessed before the final classification. The case for the utility of P300 as a tool in the study of human information processing is strong. The task will require new approaches, new experimental paradigms, and novel analytical attitudes.
