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On spatial response code activation in a Simon task.

Jason Ivanoff1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B4H 4J1. ji@or.psychology.dal.ca

Acta Psychologica
|January 11, 2003
PubMed
Summary
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The Simon effect, a spatial response advantage, does not decay during response preparation. Automatic spatial code activation is delayed until response selection is nearly complete, likely due to cognitive capacity limits.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Human Factors
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • The Simon effect demonstrates a performance benefit when a stimulus's irrelevant spatial location matches the response location.
  • It is hypothesized that this effect arises from automatic pre-activation of spatially corresponding response codes.
  • Previous research suggested this spatial code passively decays after activation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the temporal dynamics of the Simon effect.
  • To determine if the irrelevant spatial code decays during response preparation.
  • To analyze the time course of the Simon effect by manipulating stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA).

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted using a central cue to determine the response.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Response execution depended on target identity (Experiment 1) or presence (Experiment 2).
  • Stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) between the cue and target was varied to analyze the Simon effect's time course.

    • Main Results:

    • No evidence was found for the decay of the irrelevant spatial code during response preparation.
    • Reaction times increased as SOA decreased.
    • The Simon effect was found to be additive with SOA.

    Conclusions:

    • The findings do not support the passive decay theory of the spatial code.
    • The automatic activation of the task-irrelevant spatial code appears to be delayed.
    • This delay may be attributed to response selection capacity limitations.