Abstract
Conde et al. (2011) reported a finding that their article title characterized as affective valence reverses the spatial compatibility In their study, participants performed a choice-reaction task in which the stimulus was a soccer player from their team or from a team, presented in a left or right location. The team signaled whether a spatially compatible or incompatible keypress was to be made in response to the stimulus location. The Favorite team showed a benefit for the spatially compatible response, but the Rival team showed a benefit for the spatially incompatible response. In the present commentary, the data of Conde et al. are reorganized according to the two mixed-mapping conditions under which participants performed: Favorite→compatible/Rival→incompatible and Rival→compatible/Favorite→ incompatible. This reorganization shows the typical finding of no spatial compatibility effect for mixed mappings in both conditions but an overall advantage for the Favorite→compatible/Rival→incompatible mapping of teams to mapping rules. This compatibility effect for team preference to mapping rule may be a consequence of positive and negative affect, although other accounts are possible. Regardless of its basis, that compatibility effect did not modulate the spatial compatibility effect.
Highlights
Conde et al (2011) reported a finding that their article title characterized as “stimulus affective valence reverses the spatial compatibility effect.” In their study, participants performed a choice-reaction task in which the stimulus was a soccer player from their “Favorite” team or from a “Rival” team, presented in a left or right location
For two-choice reaction tasks, mean Reaction time (RT) is characteristically at least 50 ms shorter with a compatible mapping of left and right stimulus locations to left and right keypresses made with the index fingers of each hand than with an incompatible mapping (e.g., Brebner, Shepard, & Cairney, 1972)
Because this spatial stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) effect occurs even when the hands are crossed such that the left key is operated with the right index finger and the right key with the left index finger and depends on the relative positions of the alternative stimuli and responses, it is typically attributed to the processes involved in relating stimulus and response spatial codes (e.g., Anzola, Bertoloni, Buchtel, & Rizzolatti, 1977; Umiltà & Nicoletti, 1990)
Summary
Conde et al (2011) reported a finding that their article title characterized as “stimulus affective valence reverses the spatial compatibility effect.” In their study, participants performed a choice-reaction task in which the stimulus was a soccer player from their “Favorite” team or from a “Rival” team, presented in a left or right location. The Rival team showed a reversed spatial compatibility effect, which Conde et al interpreted as evidence for modulation of spatial compatibility that “may result from approach/ avoidance reactions to the Favorite and Rival Teams, respectively”
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