Effects of verbal coding on the Simon task

Stimulus-response spatial compatibility affects our interactions with interfaces. People respond faster and more accurately to stimuli presented on the same side as the response than to those presented on the opposite side, even if the stimuli locations are not task-relevant. This is called the Simon effect. This study examined the effects of verbal coding during a practice session and verbal response on the Simon task. Participants who practiced associating stimuli and verbal responses in the practice session and performed the Simon task with manual and verbal responses in the test session (Verbal Response group) made fewer errors than those who did not make associations (Control group) and those who made associations but did not respond verbally in the test session (Verbal Coding group). The results indicate that verbal response increases the efficiency of interaction with interfaces.