Horizontal spatial representations of time: evidence for the STEARC effect

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Spatial Cognition

Background:

• Numerical and auditory stimuli exhibit spatial characteristics influencing magnitude perception.
• Prior research suggests spatially coded magnitudes correlate with spatial representations.
• The spatial representation of abstract concepts like time remains an area of investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the spatial representation of time.
• To examine if time, like other magnitudes, is mapped onto spatial dimensions.
• To test the hypothesis of a 'mental time line'.

Main Methods:

• Utilized speeded reaction time tasks measuring responses to probe stimulus onset timing (early vs. late).
• Participants responded based on whether probe timing was earlier or later than expected from auditory click patterns.
• Response keys were arranged horizontally and vertically to assess spatial congruity effects.

Main Results:

• A time-response congruity effect was observed with horizontal key alignment: faster left-side responses to early onsets and faster right-side responses to late onsets.
• This effect was absent when response keys were vertically aligned.
• Reaction times indicated a spatial bias in temporal judgments.

Conclusions:

• Time is represented along a left-to-right spatial axis, supporting the 'mental time line' concept.
• The spatial-temporal association of response codes (STEARC) effect likely influences temporal perception and response.
• Findings contribute to understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying abstract magnitude representation in space.