The nature of associations between physical stimulus size and left-right response codes

Abstract

In two-choice response tasks, participants respond faster and more accurate with the left hand to a small stimulus and with the right hand to a large stimulus as compared to the reverse assignment. This compatibility effect suggests the existence of associations between cognitive codes of physical stimulus size and cognitive codes of left/right responses. Here, we explore the nature of associations between stimulus-size codes and left/right response codes by using more levels of stimulus size than in our previous studies. For example, the strengths of the associations between stimulus-size codes and response codes might either change gradually when stimulus size changes, or the strength of associations might change in a more discrete fashion (i.e., associations switch at a particular size level). In Experiment 1, participants responded to stimulus color with a left/right keypress, and physical stimulus size had ten levels with 5 mm steps. Results showed correspondence effects for the smallest and the largest stimulus size only. In Experiment 2, physical stimulus size had six levels with 10 mm steps. Results showed (similar) correspondence effects for the smallest and some intermediate stimulus-size levels. In sum, the results point towards a discrete, or categorical, relationship between cognitive codes of stimulus size and left/right response codes. This pattern of results is consistent with an account of the correspondence effect in terms of the polarity correspondence principle.