Is there a cognitive link between the domains of deictic time and number?

Abstract

This study reports the results of 4 experiments that addressed whether the domains of deictic time and number exert a cross-domain link. Such a link would be consistent with A Theory of Magnitude (i.e., ATOM). In contrast, no link between the two domains would support the conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), which assumes that each domain is only linked to space. In Experiment 1, participants made speeded decisions about temporal stimuli referring either to the past or to the future (e.g., tomorrow). In the spatial response condition, they vocally responded either with the word "left" or "right," whereas, in the number response condition, they responded with the word "1" or "9". A strong congruency effect was observed with spatial responses, but only a small one (in error rates) concerning number responses. In Experiment 2, the stimuli were the numbers 1 and 9. In the spatial response condition, participants responded again with the words "left" or "right," whereas, in the deictic time condition, they responded with "past" and "future." As before, a strong congruency effect was observed for the spatial condition; no or even a reversed congruency effect was obtained for the deictic time condition. Experiment 3 replicated this unexpected result, and Experiment 4 assessed whether this reversed congruency effect in the deictic time condition of Experiments 2 and 3 could be attributed to short versus long utterance duration. It is concluded that CMT provides the most parsimonious account for the obtained pattern of results, suggesting no direct link between deictic time and number processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).