Asking a subject to judge which set of clock hands produces a larger angle-"3:20 or 7:25" and then "2:15 or 9:20"-produces all but __________.
A)symbolic distance effect
B)evidence for the use of visual imagery
C)the semantic congruity effect
D)slower response times for "3:20 vs.7:25" than for "2:15 vs.9:20"

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The semantic congruity effect refers to the tendency for people to judge congruent combinations (e.g., "doctor" and "nurse") faster than incongruent ones (e.g., "doctor" and "firefighter"). This is not relevant to the clock hands task, which is based on perceptual rather than conceptual comparisons. The other options are all relevant to the clock hands task: the symbolic distance effect refers to the finding that people take longer to compare small differences between magnitudes (e.g., 2:15 vs. 2:20) than large differences (e.g., 2:15 vs. 5:45); the use of visual imagery is necessary for mentally envisioning and comparing the clock hands; and response times are generally slower for more difficult comparisons (such as those involving larger angles or less intuitive time intervals).

Asking a Subject to Judge Which Set of Clock Hands