Evidence for a global-local system: Priming global versus local processing can transfer across tasks and sensory...

The global-local processing framework has garnered significant attention in cognitive psychology, sparking debates regarding its existence and implications. While some cognitive and clinical studies suggest the existence of a general global-local system, recent studies have raised questions about its validity. This study aimed to investigate one crucial aspect of this question-the transferability of primed global or local processing styles across different tasks and modalities. To this aim, 120 participants were randomly assigned to a global or local priming group, using a visuospatial Navon-like task. Subsequently, they completed tasks assessing global-local processing tendencies in (a) a visuospatial task similar to the priming task, (b) a visuospatial task different from the priming task, and (c) an auditory task. The results yielded a significant transfer effect of global-local processing tendencies across all tasks and modalities, with priming influencing subsequent processing styles. These findings support the existence of a general global-local system that extends beyond specific tasks or sensory modalities. Furthermore, they provide initial evidence that this system can be influenced. These results are consistent with some previous studies but not with others, highlighting the differences in the definition of the global-local system as a potential cause for discrepancies. Potential implications for various psychological aspects such as decision making and mental health are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).