Experiment Study On Number Processing In Dual-Task Condition

Number processing and it's spatial representation have been the hot topic in cognitive psychology. At present, the researches on spatial representation of number focus on whether or not SNARC effect appearing in single-task condition, but little researches on that in dual-task condition.So we used the psychological refractory period(PRP) paradigm involving a number size task and a round size task to address the question whether SNARC and PRP effect arises, but stimulates appeared in the same visual channel, and two tasks were finished serily, quckily. In experiment 1 round appeared before number for 150ms or 400ms, so round task appeared before number task. For round task, stimulus reported, but pressed the key in number task, and we explored numerical SNARC effect and PRP effect. In experiment 2 stimuli appeared reversedly, and numerical SNARC effect, PRP effect, SNARC-like effect on round were explored.The main conclusions are following:(1)In experiment 1 and 2, numerical SNARC effect are both significant, that is, left hand fast responses to small number, and right hand quickly response to large number, which show, small number lies at the left in the mental number line, but large number at the right.(2)In experiment 2, SNARC-like effect in task 2 is significant, that is, round response back with compatible number(left hand responses to small number, right hand response to large number) is shorter than that back with incompatible number.( left hand responses to large number, right hand response to small number) .(3)In experiment 1, PRP effect in task 2 is significant, that is, response time of number task is delayed as SOA is shorten; In experiment 2, PRP effect (round task) in task 2 is insignificant.