Tracking hand movements captures the response dynamics of the evaluative priming effect

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Neuroscience

Background:

• The evaluative priming effect demonstrates how stimulus evaluation influences response times.
• Understanding the dynamics of evaluative priming requires precise measurement of response processes.
• Traditional reaction time measures may not fully capture the continuous nature of cognitive processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the response dynamics of the evaluative priming effect using mouse tracking.
• To differentiate the influence of evaluative versus non-evaluative categorization on response behavior.
• To explore the methodological advantages of mouse tracking for studying cognitive effects.

Main Methods:

• Employed a mouse tracking procedure to record continuous hand movements during categorization tasks.
• Conducted two experiments: one with a single evaluative categorization task, and another with intermixed evaluative and non-evaluative semantic categorization tasks (task-switching).
• Analyzed mouse trajectories and initiation times to infer underlying cognitive processes.

Main Results:

• In the evaluative categorization task, mouse trajectories diverged based on prime-target congruence, indicating response competition.
• Evaluative priming effects were observed in both evaluative and non-evaluative tasks under specific attentional conditions.
• Mouse trajectories reflected priming in the evaluative task, while initiation times reflected priming in the non-evaluative task.

Conclusions:

• Mouse tracking provides a sensitive measure of response dynamics, revealing subtle effects of evaluative priming.
• Evaluative priming can influence behavior even in non-evaluative tasks, mediated by attentional focus.
• The findings highlight the utility of mouse tracking for elucidating the continuous, dynamic nature of cognitive processes.