[Automatic activation of addition and multiplication facts: an examination of effects of SOA, problem size, and presentation of operator symbol].
The purpose of this study was to examine boundary conditions and time course in automatic activation of addition and multiplication facts. Utilizing a number-matching task in which subjects were required to verify whether a target had been presented in a previously viewed number pair, the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA), problem size, and operator symbol were manipulated. As a result, products were rejected more slowly than unrelated numbers in all problem size conditions, but sums were rejected more slowly than unrelated numbers only in small size condition, and this effect was not related to SOA and operator symbol. These results suggest that (a) automatic activation is restricted to small facts in addition, but not restricted in multiplication, (b) operator symbols have no effect on automatic activation, and (c) time course in automatic activation of addition facts does not differ from that of multiplication facts.
Shimada
Hideaki
H
Institute of Psychology, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8572.
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008433:Mathematics; D008606:Mental Processes; D011930:Reaction Time