Response trajectories capture the continuous dynamics of the size congruity effect☆
Section snippets
Experiment 1
The purpose of Experiment 1 was to see how the size congruity effect mapped onto a computer mousetracking task and subsequently investigate whether such data lend better support for an early interaction model or late interaction model.
Experiment 2
With Experiment 2, we attempted to replicate the results of Experiment 1 while adding the factor of numerical distance to our design. Specifically, we wanted to investigate how numerical distance interacts with physical/numerical size congruity. Schwarz and Ischebeck (2003) found that increasing the numerical distance in a physical size comparison task increased the size congruity effect, which they explained in terms of an early interaction model. Alternatively, the dual-route architecture
Experiment 3
With Experiment 3, we attempted to rule out the possibility that specific task instructions bias our results unfairly toward the late interaction model.1 While at first glance 400 ms seems long enough to allow any early representation effects to appear (especially in light of early ERP work by Schwarz & Heinze, 1998; Santens & Verguts, 2011) demonstrated that the congruity effects in a physical size comparison
General discussion
In the present study we conducted 3 experiments in which we used computer mousetracking with a physical comparison task to measure the dynamics of size congruity effect. We tracked participants' hand movements via the computer mouse as they selected the physically larger digit from among two response options varying in both physical and numerical sizes. In all 3 experiments, we found a robust size congruity effect. As is usually found in studies of the size congruity effect, responses took
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2016, NeuropsychologiaCitation Excerpt :These observations collectively add to the evidence for an overdose effect with respect to sequence learning reflected in initiation. Although ITs in our current study were relatively small compared to those reported in Ghilardi et al.’s (2003; 2007) studies on sequence learning in PD, the here observed values – especially for the random blocks – are in line with ITs reported in previous studies that used other behavioral paradigms but similar mouse tracking procedures (e.g., Faulkenberry et al., 2016, ±150 ms; Freeman and Ambady, 2011, ±140 ms; Freeman et al., 2011, ±200 ms; Incera and McLennan, 2015, ±100–200 ms). In each of these studies, like in the present work, participants clicked a start button at the bottom of a screen to prompt presentation of a stimulus and then moved the mouse cursor to a response box at the top of the screen.
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The authors wish to thank Trina Geye, Jonathan Herring, Brie Heidingsfelder, Kate Shaw, and Heather Wilson for help with data collection.