249 research outputs found
A “hidden gem” (Lidji et al., 2007) and future directions in embodied cognition
No full textAlthough the experiments and findings of Lidji et al. (2007) and Rusconi et al. (2006) are very similar, there is a detail in Lidji and colleagues' work with important implications for embodied cognition research. Specifically, Lidji et al. suggest that the vertical Spatial-Pitch Association of Response Codes effect is modulated by hand position and is stronger in musicians, particularly pianists. As the authors proposed, this is likely due to the influence of the keyboard structure, hence the article's title, "A Piano in the Head." In my view, this is a key finding of Lidji et al.'s study that is worth further investigation and discussion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
So numerous and rather confusing ... integrating insights on the grounded, embodied, and situated nature of spatial–numerical association
No full textSpatial-numerical associations have been widely studied in the last 2 decades and have brought important advancements for embodied cognition theories on knowledge representation. Over the years, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance has contributed to disseminate seminal studies highlighting the role of grounded invariants (e.g., vertical spatial-numerical association of response codes, Hartmann et al., 2014), cultural habits (e.g., reading/writing direction, Shaki & Fischer, 2012; Shaki et al., 2012; Zohar-Shai et al., 2017), and situated constraints (e.g., mirror numbers, Marzola & Cohen, 2023; alternative number arrangements, Mingolo et al., 2021) on numerical representation. In this perspective article, we briefly review the contribution of these articles in the field, and we propose a broad overview of how these findings fit into grounded, embodied, and situated perspectives on numerical cognition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
Contrasting a Misinterpretation of the Reverse Contrast
No full textopen access articleThe reverse contrast is a perceptual phenomenon in which the effect of the classical simultaneous lightness contrast is reversed. In classic simultaneous lightness contrast configurations, a gray surrounded by black is perceived lighter than an identical gray surrounded by white, but in the reverse contrast configurations, the perceptual outcome is the opposite: a gray surrounded by black appears darker than the same gray surrounded by white. The explanation provided for the reverse contrast (by different authors) is the belongingness of the gray targets to a more complex configuration. Different configurations show the occurrence of these phenomena; however, the factors determining this effect are not always the same. In particular, some configurations are based on both belongingness and assimilation, while one configuration is based only on belongingness. The evidence that different factors determine the reverse contrast is crucial for future research dealing with achromatic color perception and, in particular, with lightness induction phenomena
A perspective review on the role of engine sound in speed perception and control: state of the art and methodological suggestions
No full textIn this review we focus on the role of in-car sound, specifically the artificial engine sounds, on drivers' speed perception and control, a topic that has received little attention so far. Previous studies indicate that removing or reducing engine sound leads drivers to underestimate speed and, consequently, to drive faster. Furthermore, evidence suggests that specific sound frequencies could play a role in this process, highlighting the importance of in-car sound features. First, we show that the amount of research in the field is scarce and rather outdated, and that this is largely due to the fact that industrial research is subject to very few publications. Then, we examine benefits and limitations of different research paradigms used and we propose a protocol to investigate systematically the phenomenon. In particular, we argue for the benefits of a wider use of psychophysical methods in speed perception, a field that has been typically explored by means of driving simulation. Finally, we highlight some methodological and statistical limitations that might impact the interpretation of the evidence considered. Our methodological considerations could be particularly useful for researchers aiming to investigate the impact of sound on speed perception and control, as well as for those involved in the design of in-car sounds. These are particularly relevant for the design of electric vehicles, which represent a challenge but also the ideal testing ground to advance the knowledge in the field
Walking during the encoding of described environments enhances a heading-independent spatial representation
No full textPrevious studies demonstrated that physical movement enhanced spatial updating in described environments. However, those movements were executed only after the encoding of the environment, minimally affecting the development of the spatial representation. Thus, we investigated whether and how participants could benefit from the execution of physical movement during the encoding of described environments, in terms of enhanced spatial updating. Using the judgement of relative directions task, we compared the effects of walking both during and after the description of the environment, and walking only after the description on spatial updating. Spatial updating was evaluated in terms of accuracy and response times in different headings. We found that the distribution of response times across Headings seemed not to be related to the physical movement executed, whereas the distribution of accuracy scores seemed to significantly change with the action executed. Indeed, when no movement occurred during the encoding of the environment, a preference for the learning heading was found, which did not emerge when walking during encoding occurred. Therefore, the results seem to suggest that physical movement during encoding supports the development of a heading-independent representation of described environments, reducing the anchoring for a preferred heading in favor of a global representation
A SNARC-like effect for music notation: The role of expertise and musical instrument
No full textThe file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version.The Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) suggests the existence of an association between number magnitude and response location, with faster left key-press responses to small numbers and faster right key-press responses to large numbers. We investigated whether a similar association exists between musical notes on the stave and the space of response execution, involving amateur and expert musicians (Experiment 1). Moreover, in Experiment 2 we further investigated such association in two groups of expert musicians (piano and transverse flute players) who differ in the note mapping on their instruments. Results indicate a clear association between musical notes and the space of response execution only for musicians with formal education. Furthermore, this association seems not to be influenced by the specific instrument played, as both piano and transverse flute players showed the same effect direction (left key-press advantage for low notes, and vice versa)
Emotion meets attention: The role of left-to-right valence mapping in an exogenous cueing task
No full textIn the Posner cueing task for exogenous attention orientation, spatial correspondence between the lateralized cue and target is beneficial under conditions of short asynchrony. How such a benefit is modulated by target qualia, like faces expressing either the most positive (happy relative to angry faces in Experiment 1, as well as neutral relative to angry faces in the negative group of Experiment 2) or negative (neutral relative to happy faces in the positive group of Experiment 2) emotion in a set, is an unsolved question. We expected that the spatial mapping of emotional valence conveyed by facial expressions would modulate localization response latencies, producing a compatibility effect: faster responses to negative emotions on the left and positive emotions on the right. Results of both experiments are consistent with our expectation, showing a novel type of attentional spatial compatibility effect dependent on the encoding of target properties: a Target-dependent Emotional Attentional Spatial Compatibility effect (the TEASC effect). We showed how the TEASC effect can be accounted for by a novel latency decomposition approach which disentangles the independent contributions of two well-established components of covert attentional orienting from response latencies. We decomposed response latencies in a sequence of events, one due to the voluntary attention component (directed toward the target) and the other to the ref lexive attention component (directed toward the cue). Results show that the left-to-right valence mapping impacts the voluntary component only. This is consistent with a model of attention that disentangles reflexive and voluntary covert orienting mechanisms—with at least the latter being affect-drive
The Dual Role of Spatial Attention in Spatial-Numerical Associations
No full textThe SNARC effect is usually defined as the compatibility between Response hand and Numerical magnitude (R/SNA), with faster left-hand responses to small numbers and faster right-hand responses to large numbers. By contrast, the compatibility between stimulus Spatial position and Numerical magnitude (S/SNA) has received little attention. We disentangled R/SNA and S/SNA contributions for peripheral target numbers, with their magnitude being either task-irrelevant or task-relevant, while also manipulating the Spatial position-Response hand compatibility (S/R). Across two Posner exogenous cueing experiments, we orthogonally varied target spatial position (left/right), cue validity (valid/neutral/invalid), and the S/R compatibility (S/R-compatible/incompatible). Experiment 1 employed a localization task, and Experiment 2 a magnitude classification task. We applied a chronometric framework to decompose response times into three components: reflexive attention (cue-driven), voluntary attention (target-driven), and response planning. In Experiment 1, S/SNA emerged in the invalid cues condition only, suggesting that it was driven by the voluntary attention component. In Experiment 2, S/SNA emerged at the response-selection stage and was progressively suppressed by voluntary attention, being strong in the valid cue condition and weak in the invalid one. R/SNA followed a similar but weaker pattern. Notably, the S/R compatibility effect was driven by voluntary attention in the magnitude task but inhibited by it in the localization task. These findings show that spatial-numerical associations rely on different mechanisms depending on whether number magnitude is task-relevant, and that voluntary attention can either drive or inhibit spatial compatibility effects
Emotion meets attention: The role of left-to-right valence mapping in an exogenous cueing task
No full textIn the Posner cueing task for exogenous attention orientation, spatial correspondence between the lateralized cue and target is beneficial under conditions of short asynchrony. How such a benefit is modulated by target qualia, like faces expressing either the most positive (happy relative to angry faces in Experiment 1, as well as neutral relative to angry faces in the negative group of Experiment 2) or negative (neutral relative to happy faces in the positive group of Experiment 2) emotion in a set, is an unsolved question. We expected that the spatial mapping of emotional valence conveyed by facial expressions would modulate localization response latencies, producing a compatibility effect: faster responses to negative emotions on the left and positive emotions on the right. Results of both experiments are consistent with our expectation, showing a novel type of attentional spatial compatibility effect dependent on the encoding of target properties: a Target-dependent Emotional Attentional Spatial Compatibility effect (the TEASC effect). We showed how the TEASC effect can be accounted for by a novel latency decomposition approach which disentangles the independent contributions of two well-established components of covert attentional orienting from response latencies. We decomposed response latencies in a sequence of events, one due to the voluntary attention component (directed toward the target) and the other to the reflexive attention component (directed toward the cue). Results show that the left-to-right valence mapping impacts the voluntary component only. This is consistent with a model of attention that disentangles reflexive and voluntary covert orienting mechanisms—with at least the latter being affect-driven
Unravelling the small number bias: the role of pseudoneglect and frequency of use in random number generation
No full textWhen asked to produce random numbers individuals generate more small numbers than large ones, a phenomenon known as “Small Number Bias” (SNB; Loetscher & Brugger, 2007). This bias has been associated with a spatial preference known as “pseudoneglect,” where attention is biased towards the left side of the mental number line during numerical processing (Loetscher & Brugger, 2009). Another potential explanation for SNB is the higher frequency of use of small compared to large numbers in daily life (Dehaene & Mehler, 1992). This study aims to determine which of these two explanations better accounts for SNB. Participants were asked to generate random numbers from 1 to 12 while viewing either a regular or an inverted clockface. On a regular clockface smaller numbers are on the right, whereas on an inverted clockface they are on the left. Both theories predict SNB for the inverted clockface. However, for the regular clockface, frequency of use would predict SNB, while pseudoneglect would predict a bias towards larger numbers. Results showed SNB in the inverted clockface condition, but no bias in the regular clockface condition. These findings suggest that SNB arises when pseudoneglect and frequency of use align but is absent when they conflict. Overall, the results indicate that both pseudoneglect and frequency of use contribute to SNB in some degrees
- …
