A Simon effect for threat-related stimulus content.
When a threat-related stimulus is preferentially processed, it may act as if it is presented alone, and thus trigger processes comparable with the effects elicited by a single stimulus. Peripheral stimuli are known to yield a Simon effect: faster responses when stimulus and response spatially correspond than when not. We designed a task during which a threat-related (physical threat, social threat, or height) word is presented with a neutral word (14 or 500 ms, masked), one above the other, and spatial correspondence of threat-related word and response varies across trials. Undergraduates performed this task when exposed to height (N=22) or in a lab (N=25). The height group, compared to the control group, showed a content-specific Simon effect for physical-threat words. This result adds evidence to the hypothesis of preferential processing of relevant threat-related information.
Schrooten
Martien G S
MG
Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. MG.Schrooten@psychology.unimaas.nl <MG.Schrooten@psychology.unimaas.nl>
Smulders
Fren T Y
FT
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D001332:Automatism / Q000523:psychology; D001364:Awareness; D003118:Color Perception; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D011932:Reading; D012660:Semantics