Simon effect in psychology

The Simon effect is the effect of the location of a stimulus on a response measured by reaction time. Reaction times are faster when a stimulus and a response are in the same location even in cases when the location of the stimulus is not relevant to the task. This effect is well established (D'Ascenzo et al., 2021).

Researchers have used the Simon task to study joint action by having one partner be responsible for correctly pressing one of the two buttons and the other partner responsible for the other button. In such cases, a Joint Simon Effect is evident.

The Simon effect is named for psychological scientist J. R. Simon, who identified the effect and called it reaction toward the source.

Example

A person sits in front of a screen and a box with a left and right button. The researcher instructs the person to press the right button when they see red and the left button when they see green. When red is on the right side of the screen the reaction time is faster than when red appears on the left side of the screen. The same is true for the color green and the green button.

The Simon Effect has been studied in horizontal and vertical positions as well as visual and auditory stimuli.

The Simon effect may be a factor in dashboard design when quick reaction times are important.

D'Ascenzo, S., Lugli, L., Nicoletti, R., & Umiltà, C. (2021). Practice effects vs. transfer effects in the Simon task. Psychological research, 85(5), 1955–1969. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-020-01386-1

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

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