Elsevier

Acta Psychologica

Volume 95, Issue 3, April 1997, Pages 279-298
Acta Psychologica

Enhancement of the Simon effect by response-location precues: Evaluation of the stimulus-identification account

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-6918(96)00044-3Get rights and content

Abstract

Proctor et al. (1992) showed that precuing the likely response location with 80% validity enhanced the Simon effect (faster responding when stimulus location, though irrelevant, corresponds with response location than when it does not), consistent with earlier findings of Verfaellie et al. (1988). Hasbroucq and Possamaï (1994) reinterpreted Proctor et al.'s results as showing evidence that the magnitude of the Simon effect depends on irrelevant precuing of stimulus location. In the first part of the paper, we examine their argument and note logical deficiencies of it. In the second part, we report results of two experiments in which the magnitude of the Simon effect was found to depend on precue validity and whether the orientation of the response locations was the same as that for the precue direction. These results fit comfortably with the view that the response-location precues affect response-selection processes, but are difficult to reconcile with the hypothesis that the precues affect stimulus-identification processes.

References (22)

  • T. Hasbroucq et al.

    Stimulus-response compatibility and the Simon effect: Toward a conceptual clarification

    Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance

    (1991)
  • Cited by (13)

    • The impact of response frequency on spatial stimulus-response correspondence effects

      2015, Acta Psychologica
      Citation Excerpt :

      Finally we briefly address the premotor theory of attention which bears some similarity to the attentional account. Our findings provide strong evidence against the response-speed account (Proctor & Wang, 1997). This account relies on the observation that Simon effects tend to decline when overall RT increases (e.g. Hommel, 1994).

    • Anticipatory response control in motor sequence learning: Evidence from stimulus-response compatibility

      2007, Human Movement Science
      Citation Excerpt :

      Importantly, this appears to contradict previous results reported in the literature on the Simon effect. For instance, it has been demonstrated that validly pre-cueing the response location can even increase the magnitude of the Simon effect (e.g., Proctor & Wang, 1997). However, a more recent study has found that the Simon effect was reduced if the validity of the external pre-cue was raised from 80% to 100% (Wühr, 2006).

    • Response preparation modulates interference from irrelevant spatial information

      2006, Acta Psychologica
      Citation Excerpt :

      In contrast, intentional cueing has been found to affect the Simon effect. In particular, valid intentional cues increase the Simon effect when compared to a neutral cueing condition, whereas invalid intentional cues decrease the Simon effect (e.g. Proctor et al., 1992; Proctor & Wang, 1997; Verfaellie et al., 1988; Wascher & Wolber, 2004). Proctor and his colleagues interpreted these results as incompatible with a perceptual locus of the Simon effect, and to support the response-selection account.

    • Exploring handedness asymmetries in the Simon effect

      2016, Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text