A Simon-like effect in Go/No-Go tasks performed in isolation

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human Factors

Background:

• The spatial correspondence effect (cSE) describes a bias in responding to stimuli based on their spatial location relative to response options.
• Previous research has yielded mixed results regarding the emergence of cSE in Go/No-Go tasks, particularly when performed in isolation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether a cSE can emerge in Go/No-Go tasks performed in isolation.
• To examine the influence of the number of available response keys on cSE manifestation.

Main Methods:

• A Go/No-Go task was administered to 48 participants under isolated conditions.
• Participants responded to stimulus color using key presses.
• Two experimental conditions were employed: one response key and two response keys (one active, one inactive).
• A total of 960 trials were conducted per participant.

Main Results:

• A statistically reliable, though numerically small, cSE was observed.
• The presence of a second, non-functional response key did not significantly influence the cSE.
• Results challenge referential coding predictions, indicating cSE can emerge without concurrent response representation.

Conclusions:

• The cSE can emerge in isolated Go/No-Go tasks, even with a single response key.
• Concurrent response representation is not a prerequisite for cSE.
• Methodological limitations, such as insufficient statistical power in prior studies, may explain the inconsistent findings on cSE in Go/No-Go tasks.