Bodily experiences shape spatial-size associations: Links between hand dominance and physical stimulus size

Resumen

Participants respond faster to physically smaller stimuli with their left hand and faster to larger stimuli with their right hand as compared to the reversed assignment, constituting the SSARC (spatial-size association of response codes) effect. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the mapping between space and size (the SSARC effect) might relate to differences in preferential hand use (i.e., handedness). Right-handed and left-handed participants performed reaching movements in the horizontal plane with their left and right hand to centrally presented target positions of different size (small or large). Regardless of arm posture (parallel or crossed), right-handed participants responded faster to smaller stimuli with their (non-dominant) left hand and faster to larger stimuli with their (dominant) right hand as compared to the reversed assignment, while such a (body-related) SSARC effect was absent in left-handers. Across participants, handedness scores were correlated with the size and direction of the SSARC effect. These findings thus document a strong influence of anatomically- or body-based coding on the SSARC effect, suggesting that this mapping is shaped by bodily experiences related to preferential hand use.

Áreas y palabras clave

Cómo citar (APA 7)

Seegelke, C., & Wühr, P. (2023). Bodily experiences shape spatial-size associations: Links between hand dominance and physical stimulus size. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/gb94x