Beyond the SNARC effect: Distance-number mapping occurs in the peripersonal space

• Main Authors: Yi-Huan Chen, 陳誼桓
• Other Authors: Su-Ling Yeh
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/94730947350981593071

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 心理學研究所 === 102 === In the space within arms’ length that surrounds each individual, being able to estimate distance of objects relative to the body is important for interaction with the environment. Given that distance is an interval of magnitude one describing space, it is likely that distance and the commonly used estimations of magnitude, i.e., numbers, share a common representation system (the ATOM theory, Walsh, 2003). We test this hypothesis in the peripersonal space, on both the sagittal and transverse axes, to systematically explore the distance representations on the transverse plane. Participants in Experiment 1 were required to judge the parity of digits as quickly and correctly as possible by pressing one of two buttons (both were in front of participants): one set near the body and the other far away from it. We found that near responses were faster when paired with smaller numbers and far responses with larger numbers. When one button was set in front and the other in back in Experiment 2, no mapping was found. In Experiment 3, when both buttons were on the right side, one being near the body and the other being far aligned with the transverse axis, smaller numbers were also faster with near responses and larger numbers with far responses. However, no such effect was found on the left side, suggesting that this distance-number mapping and the left-to-right SNARC effect are counteracted. These results suggest that beyond the SNARC effect, numbers are also mapped onto the whole transverse plane of the peripersonal space, not only a left-to-right oriented number line.