Fig. 4: A schematic depiction of rapid-chase theory.[14] Primes and targets are engaged in a chase through the visuomotor system (from visual to motor areas). Because the prime signal has a head-start over the target signal, it is able to start a motor response assigned to it and to control this response for as long as the prime-target SOA allows. When the actual target signal then arrives in the motor system, it can follow through with the response already activated by the prime (in consistent trials) or has to reverse the response (in inconsistent trials). Rapid-chase theory assumes that primes and targets elicit feedforward cascades of neuronal activation traversing the visuomotor system in strict sequence, without mixture or overlap of prime and target signals. Therefore, the initial motor response to the prime must be independent of all stimulus aspects of the actual target.