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Size Matters: Non-Numerical Magnitude Affects the Spatial Coding of Response

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  • Ping Ren
  • Michael E R Nicholls
  • Yuan-ye Ma
  • Lin Chen

Abstract

It is known that small and large numbers facilitate left/right respectively (the SNARC effect). Recently, it has been proposed that numerical magnitude is just one example of a range of quantities, which have a common cognitive/neural representation. To investigate this proposition, response congruency effects were explored for stimuli which differed according to their: (a) numerical size, (b) physical size, (c) luminance, (d) conceptual size and (e) auditory intensity. In a series of experiments, groups of undergraduate participants made two-alternative forced choice discriminations with their left or right hands. There were clear interactions between magnitude and responding hand whereby right hand responses were faster for stimuli with (a) large numbers, (b) large physical size, (c) low luminance, and (d) a reference to large objects. There was no congruency effect for the auditory stimuli. The data demonstrate that the response congruency effect observed for numbers also occurs for a variety of other non-numerical visual quantities. These results support models of general magnitude representation and suggest that the association between magnitude and the left/right sides of space may not be related to culture and/or directional reading habits.

Suggested Citation

  • Ping Ren & Michael E R Nicholls & Yuan-ye Ma & Lin Chen, 2011. "Size Matters: Non-Numerical Magnitude Affects the Spatial Coding of Response," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(8), pages 1-6, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0023553
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023553
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marco Zorzi & Konstantinos Priftis & Carlo Umiltà, 2002. "Neglect disrupts the mental number line," Nature, Nature, vol. 417(6885), pages 138-139, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Danielle Hoffmann & Christophe Mussolin & Romain Martin & Christine Schiltz, 2014. "The Impact of Mathematical Proficiency on the Number-Space Association," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, January.
    2. Fiona Nemeh & Judi Humberstone & Mark J Yates & Robert A Reeve, 2018. "Non-symbolic magnitudes are represented spatially: Evidence from a non-symbolic SNARC task," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Gould, Stephen & Goldsmith, Emily & Lee, Michael, 2020. "The choice polarity effect: An investigation of evolutionary-based trait handedness and perceived magnitudes on laterally displayed choices," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 627-637.
    4. Kevin J Holmes & Stella F Lourenco, 2013. "When Numbers Get Heavy: Is the Mental Number Line Exclusively Numerical?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(3), pages 1-5, March.
    5. Hermann Bulf & Viola Macchi Cassia & Maria Dolores de Hevia, 2014. "Are Numbers, Size and Brightness Equally Efficient in Orienting Visual Attention? Evidence from an Eye-Tracking Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(6), pages 1-6, June.

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