Spatial-numerical association of response codes

SNARC (Stochastic Neural Analog Reinforcement Calculator) is a neural net machine designed by Marvin Lee Minsky. It is a randomly connected network of Hebb synapses.

It was implemented by Minsky while he was a student, in hardware using vacuum tubes, and was possibly the first artificial self-learning machine. Template:CyberneticZoo1053

In cognitive science SNARC also stands for 'spatial-numerical association of response codes' and refers to the effect where people react faster with their left hand for small numbers, and faster with their right hand for bigger numbers, suggesting that number concepts are partly mapped out in space

References

• Crevier 1993
• Russell Norvig 2003
• Riello Rusconi 2011 Unimanual SNARC Effect: Hand Matters. Front Psychol, 2, 372.
• CyberneticZoo1053 http://cyberneticzoo.com/?p=1053

SNARC (Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes)-effect describes an automatic association between the location of the response hand and the abstract semantic magnitude of a given number which is modality-independent. Even for tasks in which magnitude is irrelevant, like parity judgement or phoneme detection, larger numbers are faster responded to with the right response key while smaller numbers are faster responded to with the left. The explanation given by Dehaene and colleagues is that the magnitude of a number on an oriented mental number line is automatically activated. The mental number line is assumed to be oriented from left to right; thus larger numbers are spatially located on the right mentally. When the response key is also on the right, there is a congruency between the mental spatial location of the number on the number line and the location of the response. In such a congruent condition responses are fast and otherwise slow.

References

• Dehaene, Bossini, & Giraux, 1993
• Fias, Brysbaert, Geypens, & D’Ydewalle,1996
• Nuerk, Wood, & Willmes, in press