Influence of visual stimulus mode on transfer of acquired spatial associations.

Full Abstract

Associations between corresponding stimulus-response locations are often characterized as overlearned, producing automatic activation. However, 84 practice trials with an incompatible mapping eliminate the benefit for spatial correspondence in a transfer Simon task, where stimulus location is irrelevant. The authors examined whether transfer occurs for combinations of physical-location, arrow-direction, and location-word modes in the practice and transfer sessions. With 84 practice trials, the Simon effect was reduced for locations and arrows, and there was complete transfer across these modes; location words showed little transfer within or between modes. These results suggest that the acquired short-term associations were based on visual-spatial stimulus codes distinct from semantic-spatial codes activated by the words. With 600 practice trials, words showed transfer to word and arrow but not location Simon tasks, suggesting that arrows share semantic-spatial codes with words. Reaction-time distribution functions for the Simon effect showed distinct shapes for each stimulus mode, with little impact of the practiced mapping on the shapes. Thus, the contribution of the short-term location associations seems to be separate from that of the long-term associations responsible for the Simon effect. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Author information

Author/s: Proctor, Robert W (RW); Yamaguchi, Motonori (M); Zhang, Yanmin (Y); Vu, Kim-Phuong L (KP);

Affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2081, USA. proctor(-atsign-)psych.purdue.edu

Grants: R01AG021071-4 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition (J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Mar; vol 35 (issue 2) : pp 434-45

Dates: Created 2009/03/10; Completed 2009/05/11;

PMID: 19271857, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 5/11/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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