The SNARC Effect

May 4, 2009 1:29 PM

The SNARC Effect is a fascinating phenomenon.
posted by preparat (18 comments total)

So it turns out Palestinians are right!
posted by ageispolis at 1:36 PM on May 4 [1 favorite has favorites]

fascinating indeed.
posted by molecicco at 1:52 PM on May 4

That is very, very interesting. I wonder if this explains why I always hated graphing negative numbers -- three of the quadrants always felt wrong and backwards, and were annoying. The negative x/negative y quadrant was particularly unpleasant to work with.

A possible related line of inquiry: which way to mount toilet paper rolls. I feel confident that we front-dispensers will be vindicated.
posted by Malor at 2:03 PM on May 4

There's just too much SNARC on MetaFilter.
posted by wendell at 2:19 PM on May 4

Eh?
posted by Foosnark at 2:37 PM on May 4

A possible related line of inquiry: which way to mount toilet paper rolls.

I laughed when I read this. Then I started thinking about it. (Damn you) You could extend this research to the z-axis... is pulling toward you associated with down and pushing away associated with up? Like with (some people's) toilet rolls.

The only other thing I could think of off the top of my head that this would pertain to is piloting aircraft and a few video games. This research on toilet rolls... I think there is an IgNoble prize waiting for the one who does it.
posted by Avelwood at 2:38 PM on May 4

It also would seem to teach us that when comparing odd/even numbers people look at the whole number rather than just the least significant digit, which would be the smart thing.
posted by borkencode at 2:48 PM on May 4 [1 favorite has favorites]

I would like to see if there are variances amongst people who play stringed instruments, like the bass, people whose language goes right to left, etc.
posted by adipocere at 3:00 PM on May 4

Aha! I had wondered about that immediately after reading the first link, and before opening the second. Nice to not have to wait years for vindication.

Toilet paper rolls should be mounted dispensing side toward the wall for people who own cats. Otherwise, personal preference shall prevail, and I presume the majority of people place the roll dispensing side facing away from the wall. The way normal people do it.
posted by Xoebe at 3:33 PM on May 4

Is this something I'd have to care about psychology to get?

...

Actually, interesting article!
posted by OverlappingElvis at 4:41 PM on May 4

Reminds me of the Odd Effect. When asked to judge if a number is odd or even, decision times are slower for odd numbers.
posted by i love cheese at 5:24 PM on May 4

goddamn descartes...this is all his fault. *sigh* like i don't have enough graves that need desecrating here in the states... now i have to go to FRANCE? grate.
posted by sexyrobot at 8:32 PM on May 4

Did the original study make any attempt to control for the fact that many people are taught to plot numbers on a left-to-right number line (or graph on a Cartesian plane)? For people who's native tongue is read from right to left? For people who haven't been exposed to the many, many situations in which (for modern English-speaking societies at least), numbers and sequences are typically arranged from left to right? Not that this would invalidate their results, of course. It'd just be interesting to know if this was something learned or innate.
posted by ErWenn at 8:53 PM on May 4

first (and most recent) paper I published was on the SNARC effect. Didn't expect it to make metafilter anytime soon.
posted by spacediver at 11:07 PM on May 4

erwenn, by original study, are you referring to dehaene's 1993 study which first showed the effiect, or the 2009 study by shaki and fischer?

and to answer your question, did you read the second link? It addresses your question directly if I understand you correctly.
posted by spacediver at 11:12 PM on May 4

Man, I did not know about this. Fascinating.

Reminds me of the Odd Effect.

Holy crap, that too. And "[n]ouns that name dead objects are judged more slowly than ones that name living objects."
posted by cortex at 9:49 AM on May 5

I still prefer the Babinsky reflex.
posted by mjohns1999 at 8:56 AM on May 6

Spacediver: either, actually. I didn't read the entire second link and I was feeling lazy, hoping that someone else could answer it quickly. I often have the unfortunate problem of not having the patience to read longer reports but being severely dissatisfied with the lack of info in the little short blurbs that pass as news.
posted by ErWenn at 7:11 PM on May 6