title: Mental representation: what can pitch tell us about the distance effect?
abstract: Reaction time (RT) profiles for comparing magnitudes (e.g., numbers, physical sizes) are similar - the larger the difference between the compared stimuli, the shorter the RT (distance effect). Nevertheless, it is unclear whether such correspondence is due to similar, two-dimensional, linear mental representations of magnitudes. In contrast, pitch perception has a more complex, two-dimensional, helical representation. This study examined whether comparisons of music pitches are similar to other magnitude response functions. Experiment 1 employed a comparison task, resulting in an RT profile identical to that obtained when comparing other magnitudes. In contrast, Experiment 2 employed a discrimination task, resulting in RTs that matched the helical representation and were dissociated from the classical distance effect. Experiment 3 replicated the results of Experiment 1 using a comparison task with different stimuli and intervals. These findings imply that the distance effect under comparison tasks might reflect a general sensorimotor transformation, rather than mental representation per se.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University College London, London, UK. r.cohenkadosh@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Roi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cohen Kadosh
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brodsky
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Avishai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henik
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D010897:Pitch Discrimination / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*