Stimulus affect valence may influence mapping-rule selection but does not reverse the spatial compatibility effect: reinterpretation of Conde et al. (2011)

ABSTRACT

Conde et al. (2011) reported a finding that their article title characterized as "stimulus affective valence reverses the spatial compatibility effect." In their study, participants performed a choice-reaction task in which the stimulus was a soccer player from their "Favorite" team or from a "Rival" team, presented in a left or right location. The team signaled whether a spatially compatible or incompatible keypress was to be made in response to the stimulus location. The Favorite team showed a benefit for the spatially compatible response, but the Rival team showed a benefit for the spatially incompatible response. In the present commentary, the data of Conde et al. are reorganized according to the two mixed-mapping conditions under which participants performed Favorite→compatible/Rival→incompatible and Rival→compatible/Favorite→ incompatible. This reorganization shows the typical finding of no spatial compatibility effect for mixed mappings in both conditions but an overall advantage for the Favorite→compatible/Rival→incompatible mapping of teams to mapping rules. This compatibility effect for team preference to mapping rule may be a consequence of positive and negative affect, although other accounts are possible. Regardless of its basis, that compatibility effect did not modulate the spatial compatibility effect.