On the mental representation of negative numbers: context-dependent SNARC effects with comparative judgments

In one condition, positive and negative number pairs were compared in separate blocks of trials. In another condition, the positive and the negative number pairs were intermixed. In the intermixed condition, comparisons involving negative numbers were faster with the left hand than with the right, and comparisons were faster with the right hand than with the left hand with the positive numbers; that is, a spatial numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect was obtained, in which the mental number line was extended leftward with the negative numbers. On the other hand, in the blocked condition, a reverse SNARC effect was obtained with the negative numbers; that is, negative number pairs have the same underlying spatial representation as the positive numbers in this context. Nongraded semantic congruity effects, obtained in both the blocked and the intermixed conditions, are consistent with the idea that magnitude information is extracted prior to the generation of discrete semantic codes.