Simon effect

When Simon effect is referred to in the psychology of the finding that the response latencies to stimuli fail less if stimulus and response at the same site, even when the stimulus location is irrelevant to the performance of the task. This effect was named after JR Simon, though originally reaction toward the source called him.

As the Simon effect is exactly reached, is not fully understood. It can be regarded both as a result of a conflict of different spatial codes of stimulus and response as well as a more general effect of compatibility or incompatibility.

A similar Kompatiblitätseffekt could Wallace ( 1971) show: subjects responded with a left or right button quickly to the left or right proffered stimuli ( ie jeweilis congruent conditions ), regardless of whether the left and right hand the left and right button or by crossed hands were assigned to the left hand the right key and the right hand the left button.

Demonstration of the Simon effect

The Simon effect can be demonstrated by the following example: one asks a person to respond to stimuli that are presented on a screen. The reaction is carried out by means of a key press on the left side in green stimuli and to press a key on the right side in red stimuli. Then the people red and green stimuli are presented on the right or left of the screen. The people usually respond faster when the green stimuli on the left and the red appear on the right side, ie on the respective same side as the key to press. This is evident, although the position of the stimulus is irrelevant for the processing of the task, because the people are asked to respond only to the color.

The affective Simon effect

While the classic Simon effect is based on the spatial congruence of stimulus and response, the affective Simon effect is based on the affective congruency of stimulus and response. People are faster if they are to respond to a stimulus with a positive rather than a negative answer positively stained colored response and vice versa. The reason for this compatibility or incompatibility of irrelevant evaluation of the stimulus and relevant evaluation should assume the answer.