Effects of practice with noncorresponding location words on the Simon task

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Rottermann ◽  
Kim-Phuong L. Vu ◽  
Robert W. Proctor
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Andreas Voß ◽  
Klaus Rothermund ◽  
Dirk Wentura

Abstract. In this article, a modified variant of the Affective Simon Task (AST; De Houwer & Eelen, 1998 ) is presented as a measure of implicit evaluations of single stimuli. In the AST, the words “good” or “bad” have to be given as responses depending on the color of the stimuli. The AST was combined with an evaluation task to increase the salience of the valence of the presented stimuli. Experiment 1 investigated evaluations of schematic faces showing emotional expressions. In Experiment 2 we measured the valence of artificial stimuli that acquired valence in a game context during the experiment. Both experiments confirm the validity of the modified AST. The results also revealed a dissociation between explicit and implicit evaluations.


Author(s):  
Luisa Lugli ◽  
Stefania D’Ascenzo ◽  
Roberto Nicoletti ◽  
Carlo Umiltà

Abstract. The Simon effect lies on the automatic generation of a stimulus spatial code, which, however, is not relevant for performing the task. Results typically show faster performance when stimulus and response locations correspond, rather than when they do not. Considering reaction time distributions, two types of Simon effect have been individuated, which are thought to depend on different mechanisms: visuomotor activation versus cognitive translation of spatial codes. The present study aimed to investigate whether the presence of a distractor, which affects the allocation of attentional resources and, thus, the time needed to generate the spatial code, changes the nature of the Simon effect. In four experiments, we manipulated the presence and the characteristics of the distractor. Findings extend previous evidence regarding the distinction between visuomotor activation and cognitive translation of spatial stimulus codes in a Simon task. They are discussed with reference to the attentional model of the Simon effect.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fanny Grisetto ◽  
Yvonne N. Delevoye-Turrell ◽  
Clémence Roger

Aggressive behaviors in pathological and healthy populations have been largely related to poor cognitive control functioning. However, few studies investigated the influence of aggressive traits (i.e., aggressiveness) on cognitive control. In the current study, we investigated the effects of aggressiveness on cognitive control abilities and particularly, on performance monitoring. Thirty-two participants performed a Simon task while electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) were recorded. Participants were classified as high and low aggressive using the BPAQ questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992). EMG recordings were used to reveal three response types by uncovering small incorrect muscular activations in ~15% of correct trials (i.e., partial-errors) that have to be distinguished from full-error and pure-correct responses. For these three response types, EEG recordings were used to extract fronto-central negativities indicative of performance monitoring, the error and correct (-related) negativities (ERN/Ne and CRN/Nc). Behavioral results indicated that the high aggressiveness group had a larger congruency effect compared to the low aggressiveness group, but there were no differences in accuracy. EEG results revealed a global reduction in performance-related negativities amplitudes in all the response types in the high aggressiveness group compared to the low aggressiveness group. Interestingly, the distinction between the ERN/Ne and the CRN/Nc components was preserved both in high and low aggressiveness groups. In sum, high aggressive traits did not affect the capacity to self-evaluate erroneous from correct actions but are associated with a decrease in the importance given to one’s own performance. The implication of these findings are discussed in relation to pathological aggressiveness.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 763-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Blais ◽  
Emily Hubbard ◽  
George R. Mangun

Proportion congruency effects are the observation that the magnitude of the Stroop effect increases as the proportion of congruent trials in a block increases. Contemporary work shows that proportion effects can be specific to a particular context. For example, in a Simon task in which items appearing above fixation are mostly congruent and items appearing below fixation are mostly incongruent, the Simon effect is larger for the items appearing at the top. There is disagreement as to whether these context-specific effects result from simple associative learning or, instead, a type of conflict-mediated associative learning. Here, we address this question in an ERP study using a Simon task in which the proportion congruency effect was context-specific, manipulating the proportion of congruent trials based on location (upper vs. lower visual field). We found significant behavioral proportion congruency effects that varied with the specific contexts. In addition, we observed that the N2 response of the ERPs to the stimuli was larger in amplitude for the high congruent (high conflict) versus low congruent (low conflict) conditions/contexts. Because the N2 is known to be greater in amplitude also for trials where conflict is high and is believed to be an electrical signal related to conflict detection in the medial frontal cortex, this supports the idea that conflict-mediated associative learning is involved in the proportion congruency effect.


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