S-R compatibility: Correspondence among paired elements within stimulus and response codes.

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Abstract
An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that S-R compatibility is maximum when the pairings of stimulus and response elements in the formation of an S-R ensemble insure maximum agreement with population stereotypes. The experiment permitted a further test of the previously examined hypothesis that maximum S-R compatibility requires correspondence of stimulus sets and response sets in respect to the dimensions along which stimulus and reponse categories are selected, and also an evaluation of the interaction of the choice of stimulus sets with the method of S-R pairing. Compatibility effects are conceived as arising from an intervening information transformation process which is indicated by the statistical interactions of stimulus sets, response sets, and S-R mating procedures. The hypothesis was tested by analyzing the reaction times and errors of Ss in a series of different experimental situations. Ten groups, each containing 10 randomly-assigned Ss, were studied. Two spatial stimulus sets, clock numbers and first names, were employed in forming S-R ensembles. Each of the stimulus sets contained 8 alternatives. A single response set, composed of 8 directional motor responses, was used for all groups. Stimuli were paired with responses in 3 ways, so as to provide maximum, mirrored, and random S-R correspondence (only random assignment was used with the set of first names). The chief finding with regard to the 2 main experimental variables (choice of stimulus coding set and mating of S-R pairs) was their highly significant interaction. This finding and subsequent t tests support the original hypothesis. With either optimum or mirrored mating of S-R pairs the spatial 2-dimensional ensemble was superior to all other groups. Performance was generally poor with random S-R mating, but significantly better performance was achieved in this case with the 2 symbolic coding sets than with either of the 2 spatial coding sets. All groups were tested over 2 days. Improvement in reaction time between days was highly significant but of relatively small absolute magnitude, and there was no significant interaction between days and any of the experimental (compatibility) effects. Considered in relation to the performance differences between different coding procedures, and in the light of the finding from the previous study in this series, these results indicate that compatibility effects in perceptual-motor tasks are relatively large in comparison with effects produced by short-term learning or by changes in the number of alternatives (amount of information) relevant to each successive choice. The effects also appear to be relatively permanent. Implications of the concept of compatibility for studies of transfer of training and individual differences are discussed.
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