Response mode does not modulate the space-time congruency effect: evidence for a space-time mapping at a conceptual level

Abstract

Previous studies reported a space-time congruency effect on response time, supporting the notion that people's thinking about time is grounded in their spatial sensorimotor experience. According to a strong view of metaphoric mapping, the congruency effect should be larger for responses that differ in their spatial features than for responses that lack such differences. In contrast, a weaker version of this account posits that the grounding of time is based on higher-level spatial concepts. In this case, response mode should not modulate the size of the space-time congruency effect. In order to assess these predictions, participants in this study responded to temporal stimuli either manually or vocally. Response mode did not modulate the space-time congruency effect which supports the weaker view of metaphoric mapping suggesting that this effect emerges at a higher cognitive level.

Keywords: Conceptual metaphor; Mental timeline; Motor experience; Processing level; Response mode; Space–time congruency effect.