Three Variables Related to Reaction Time to Compare Single-Digit Numbers

Abstract

A partial replication and extension of an investigation by Moyer and Landauer (1967) found that mean reaction time to the larger of two single-digit numbers (a) was longer when the larger number was on the left, (b) was an increasing linear function of the size of the larger number of the pair, and (c) showed both a decreasing linear trend and a cubic trend as a function of the difference between the larger and smaller numbers of a pair. The relationships of these findings to those of Moyer and Landauer (1967) are discussed, and some explanations for the similarities and differences are offered.