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Number magnitude affects spatial decisions: Evidence of spatial-numerical associations with complex movements
Mauro Murgia1, Angelica Ielo1, Stefano Pileggi1
1Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Cognition
|February 4, 2026
Summary
Spatial-Numerical Association (SNA) effects extend to walking. Small numbers bias walking left, large numbers bias walking right, even in complex movement tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Spatial-Numerical Associations (SNAs) link number magnitude to spatial response side (small numbers left, large numbers right).
- SNAs are typically studied using simple key-press tasks measuring response times.
- The influence of SNAs on complex, free-response movements remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if spatial biases (left/right) associated with number magnitude occur in walking decisions.
- To examine SNA effects in a free-response task involving complex motor actions.
- To determine if these effects persist when number processing is incidental to the primary task.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a virtual reality environment for a free-response walking task.
- Participants processed number magnitude (Experiment 1) or parity (Experiment 2) before walking.
- Assessed walking direction and trajectory deviations in response to numbers 1-9.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a higher frequency of leftward walking decisions for smaller numbers and rightward decisions for larger numbers.
- Observed compatible deviations in walking trajectories aligning with number magnitude.
- Confirmed SNA effects in both magnitude classification and parity judgment tasks.
Conclusions:
- Spatial-Numerical Association effects influence spontaneous walking decisions and trajectories.
- These effects occur in free-response tasks, extending beyond simple reaction-time paradigms.
- Number magnitude exerts influence on movement even when it is not the primary task-relevant feature.
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