The Roles of Attentional Shifts and Attentional Reengagement in Resolving The Spatial Compatibility Effect in Tactile Simon-like Tasks

Wanting Zheng,Lihan Chen

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-27114-9

Wanting Zheng, Lihan Chen

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27114-9

Copy DOI

Journal: Scientific Reports	Publication Date: Jun 8, 2018
Citations: 1	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Wenzhou Medical University, Peking University

Abstract

The Simon effect refers to the acceleration of choice responses when the target position and response location are consistent compared with scenarios in which they are inconsistent, even if the target position is not relevant to the response. Here, we provide the first demonstration that the tactile Simon-like effect operates in an attention-shifting manner. In unimodal scenarios (Experiments 1–4), for the tactile direction task, the spatial compatibility effect was absent in the focused-attention condition but maintained in the divided-attention condition. For the tactile localization task, this pattern was reversed: the spatial compatibility effect occurred for the focused-attention condition but was reduced/absent in the divided-attention condition. In the audiotactile interaction scenario (Experiment 5), the reaction times (RTs) for discriminating the tactile motion direction were prolonged; however, a spatial compatibility effect was not observed. We propose that the temporal course of resolving conflicts between spatial codes during attentional shifts, including attentional reengagement, may account for the tactile Simon-like effect.

Highlights

The Simon effect refers to the facilitation of choice responses when the target position and response side are consistent compared with scenarios in which they are inconsistent, even if the target position is irrelevant to the response
In a cross-modal scenario, visual and auditory events trigger a spatial code based on external coordinates and tactile events trigger spatial representations based on anatomical coordinates
In Experiment 1, participants focused their attention on the two consecutive taps on one hand, hereafter we named it as ‘FA fixed’ condition.In Experiment 2, participants divided their attention on the three taps, with the first two taps appearing simultaneously on the two middle fingers and the third one appearing on the forefinger or the ringfinger on either hand, we named the condition as ‘DA fixed’

Summary

Introduction

The Simon effect refers to the facilitation of choice responses when the target position and response side are consistent compared with scenarios in which they are inconsistent, even if the target position is irrelevant to the response (for a review, see[3]). According to the late attentional selection hypothesis, selecting a location in space primes action toward that location and eventually shifts attention in that direction[15] Another influential theoretical framework, the referential coding theory, emphasizes a perception-for-action system and states that the Simon effect results from the coding of all S-R features (with the current focus of attention) and ensuing response selection. According to the coding hypothesis by Wallace (1971), the hand is represented in the form of a ‘body code’ and can be associated with a location in space with the references updated as the hand (fingers) move from one position to another[12] This referential coding hypothesis offers an effective framework to explain the S-R compatibility pattern from spatial updating or modality switches[18]. The left tactile motion stream in left hand, is spatially congruent for motion direction, but is incongruent in terms of the starting position (right)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion