Reaction times are shaped by global and local stimulus-response frequencies

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human Perception
• Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

• Humans exhibit adaptive behavior, adjusting responses based on statistical regularities in their environment.
• Faster and more accurate responses are typically observed for more frequent stimuli compared to less frequent ones.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether the adjustment to relative stimulus-response frequencies is location-specific (local) or generalized across locations (global).

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted where participants responded to stimuli of different colors presented at various screen locations.
• Stimuli varied in relative frequency between upper and lower locations, but not between left and right locations.
• The second experiment included central stimuli to equalize overall color and response frequencies.

Main Results:

• Experiment 1 showed significant differences in reaction times and error rates based on relative frequencies at upper/lower locations, with a smaller effect at left/right locations.
• The Simon effect was modulated by relative frequency at left/right locations.
• Experiment 2 revealed a diminished effect of relative frequency at upper/lower locations when overall frequencies were equated.

Conclusions:

• The adjustment to relative stimulus-response frequency demonstrates both a global, location-independent component and a local, location-dependent component.
• These findings contribute to understanding the mechanisms of environmental statistical learning and response adaptation.