How to cook a SNARC: Number placement in text rapidly changes spatial-numerical associations

Martin H. Fischer; Richard A. Mills; Samuel Shaki

doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2009.10.010

How to cook a SNARC: Number placement in text rapidly changes spatial-numerical associations

Martin H. Fischer, Richard A. Mills, Samuel Shaki

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

137 Scopus citations

Abstract

Most theoreticians believe that reading habits explain why Western adults associate small numbers with left space and large numbers with right space (the SNARC effect). We challenge this belief by documenting, in both English and Hebrew, that SNARC changes during reading: small and large numbers in our texts appeared near the left or right ends of the lines, positioned either spatially congruent or incongruent with reading habits. In English, the congruent group showed reliable SNARC before and after reading and the incongruent group's SNARC was significantly reduced. In Hebrew the incongruent reading condition even induced a reverse SNARC. These results show that SNARC is a fleeting aspect of number representation that captures multiple spatial associations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	333-336
Number of pages	4
Journal	Brain and Cognition
Volume	72
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2009.10.010
State	Published - Apr 2010

Keywords

Number line
Numerical cognition
Reading
SNARC effect
Spatial-numerical associations

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10.1016/j.bandc.2009.10.010

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abstract = "Most theoreticians believe that reading habits explain why Western adults associate small numbers with left space and large numbers with right space (the SNARC effect). We challenge this belief by documenting, in both English and Hebrew, that SNARC changes during reading: small and large numbers in our texts appeared near the left or right ends of the lines, positioned either spatially congruent or incongruent with reading habits. In English, the congruent group showed reliable SNARC before and after reading and the incongruent group's SNARC was significantly reduced. In Hebrew the incongruent reading condition even induced a reverse SNARC. These results show that SNARC is a fleeting aspect of number representation that captures multiple spatial associations.",

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How to cook a SNARC: Number placement in text rapidly changes spatial-numerical associations

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