In touch with the Simon effect

Yael Salzer, Daniela Aisenberg, Tal Oron-Gilad, Avishai Henik

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Cognitive control has been extensively studied using the auditory and visual modalities. In the current study, a tactile version of the Simon task was created in order to test control mechanisms in a modality that was less studied, to provide comparative and new information. A significant Simon effect - reaction time gap between congruent (i.e., stimulus and response in the same relative location) and incongruent (i.e., stimulus and response in opposite locations) stimuli - provided grounds to further examine both general and tactile-specific aspects of cognitive control in three experiments. By implementing a neutral condition and conducting sequential and distributional analysis, the present study: (a) supports two different independent mechanisms of cognitive control - reactive control and proactive control; (b) reveals facilitation and interference within the tactile Simon effect; and (c) proposes modality differences in activation and processing of the spatially driven stimulus-response association.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)165-179
Number of pages15
JournalExperimental Psychology
Volume61
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2014

Keywords

  • Attention
  • Cognitive control
  • Neutrals
  • Sequential analysis
  • Simon effect
  • Tactile

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • General Psychology

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