Polarity Correspondence as a General Compatibility Principle

Abstract

Proctor and Cho (2006) proposed that, when making binary decisions, people code the stimulus and response alternatives asymmetrically (positive and negative polarities), with performance being best when the codes of the corresponding polarities are paired. They presented evidence that polarity correspondence could explain many results associated with orthogonal compatibility, the Implicit Association Test, and numerical judgments. We review and evaluate literature on these topics and on polarity coding in the context of metaphorical relations published during the ensuing 10 years. Our conclusion is that the results have supported polarity correspondence as a contributor to binary decisions. We consider issues concerning the principle and topics in need of research.