Stimulus-response compatibility for absolute and relative spatial correspondence in reaching and in button pressing

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Motor Control

Background:

• Stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility research traditionally focuses on relative spatial relationships.
• The role of absolute spatial correspondence, specifically stimulus-target distance, remains less explored in explaining S-R compatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether absolute spatial correspondence (stimulus-target distance) influences stimulus-response compatibility.
• To differentiate the effects of absolute versus relative spatial correspondence on performance.
• To examine how different response modalities (reaching vs. keypress) affect distance-based compatibility.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments were conducted using visual stimuli and either reaching movements or keypress responses.
• Experiment 1: Reaching movements to one of two targets based on six visual stimuli.
• Experiment 2: Replicated Experiment 1 with varied starting hand positions. Experiment 3: Used keypress responses instead of reaching.

Main Results:

• Relative spatial correspondence between stimulus and response was faster.
• Reaction time was significantly faster when the stimulus was closer to a potential target (stimulus-target distance).
• The distance effect was prominent in reaching movements but nearly absent in keypress responses.

Conclusions:

• Absolute spatial correspondence, specifically stimulus-target distance, is a critical factor in stimulus-response compatibility, particularly for effector systems like reaching.
• The findings suggest that categorical (e.g., left-right) and quantitative (e.g., distance) S-R variables may interact differently depending on the response modality.
• Future research should explore the underlying mechanisms differentiating spatial compatibility effects across various response types.