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Spatialization in working memory: can individuals reverse the cultural direction of their thoughts?
Author(s) -
Guida Alessandro,
Mosinski Francis,
Cipora Krzysztof,
Mathy Fabien,
Noël Yvonnick
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/nyas.14499
Subject(s) - spatialization , left and right , key (lock) , psychology , right to left , reading (process) , cognitive psychology , association (psychology) , cognition , social psychology , developmental psychology , computer science , linguistics , sociology , philosophy , computer security , structural engineering , neuroscience , anthropology , engineering , psychotherapist , operating system
A recent study based on the SPoARC effect (spatial position association response codes) showed that culture heavily shapes cognition and more specifically the way thought is organized; when Western adults are asked to keep in mind a sequence of colors, they mentally organize them from left to right, whereas right‐to‐left reading/writing adults spatialize them in the opposite direction. Here, we investigate if the spontaneous direction of spatialization in Westerners can be reversed. Lists of five consonants were presented auditorily at a rate of 3 s per item, participants were asked to mentally organize the memoranda from right to left. Each list was followed by a probe. Participants had to indicate whether the probe was part of the sequence by pressing a “yes” key or a “no” key with the left or right index finger. Left/right‐hand key assignment was switched after half of the trials were completed. The results showed a reverse SPoARC effect that was comparable in magnitude to the spontaneous left‐to‐right SPoARC effect found in a previous study. Overall, our results suggest that individuals can reverse the cultural direction of their thoughts.