The Space-Time Congruency Effect: A Meta-Analysis.

The Space-Time Congruency Effect: A Meta-Analysis.
Cogn Sci. 2019 Jan;43(1):
Authors: von Sobbe L, Scheifele E, Maienborn C, Ulrich R
Abstract
Several reaction time (RT) studies report faster responses when responses to temporal information are arranged in a spatially congruent manner than when this arrangement is incongruent. The resulting space-time congruency effect is commonly attributed to a culturally salient localization of temporal information along a mental timeline (e.g., a mental timeline that runs from left to right). The present study aims to provide a compilation of the published RT studies on this time-space association in order to estimate the size of its effect and the extent of potential publication bias in this field of research. In this meta-analysis, three types of task are distinguished due to hitherto existing empirical findings. These findings suggest that the extent to which time is made relevant to the experimental task has a systematic impact on whether or not the mental timeline is activated. The results of this meta-analysis corroborate these considerations: First, experiments that make time a task-relevant dimension have a mean effect size of d = 0.46. Second, in experiments in which time is task irrelevant, the effect size does not significantly deviate from zero. Third, temporal priming studies have a surprisingly high mean effect size of d = 0.47, which, however, should be adjusted to d = 0.36 d...

Source: Cognitive Science - January 1, 2019 Category: Neuroscience Authors: von Sobbe L, Scheifele E, Maienborn C, Ulrich R Tags: Cogn Sci Source Type: research