Coding strategies in number space: Memory requirements influence spatial-numerical associations

The tendency to respond faster with the left hand to relatively small numbers and faster with the right hand to relatively large numbers (spatial numerical association of response codes, SNARC effect) has been interpreted as an automatic association of spatial and numerical information. We investiga...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006) 2008-04, Vol.61 (4), p.515-524
Main Authors: Lindemann, Oliver, Abolafia, Juan M., Pratt, Jay, Bekkering, Harold
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Association
Biological and medical sciences
Coding strategy
Cognition. Intelligence
Dual-task interference
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Mathematics
Memory
Memory load
Mental number line
Miscellaneous
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
SNARC effect
Space Perception
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Summary:The tendency to respond faster with the left hand to relatively small numbers and faster with the right hand to relatively large numbers (spatial numerical association of response codes, SNARC effect) has been interpreted as an automatic association of spatial and numerical information. We investigated in two experiments the impact of task-irrelevant memory representations on this effect. Participants memorized three Arabic digits describing a left-to-right ascending number sequence (e.g., 3-4-5), a descending sequence (e.g., 5-4-3), or a disordered sequence (e.g., 5-3-4) and indicated afterwards the parity status of a centrally presented digit (i.e., 1, 2, 8, or 9) with a left/right keypress response. As indicated by the reaction times, the SNARC effect in the parity task was mediated by the coding requirements of the memory tasks. That is, a SNARC effect was only present after memorizing ascending or disordered number sequences but disappeared after processing descending sequences. Interestingly, the effects of the second task were only present if all sequences within one experimental block had the same type of order. Taken together, our findings are inconsistent with the idea that spatial-numerical associations are the result of an automatic and obligatory cognitive process but do suggest that coding strategies might be responsible for the cognitive link between numbers and space.
ISSN:1747-0218
1747-0226
DOI:10.1080/17470210701728677