The Effect of Response Mode on Finger Localization Errors

• Published in: Cortex Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 233 - 244
• Main Authors: Stone, F. Beth, Robinson, Donald L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.1968
• ISSN: 0010-9452; 1973-8102
• DOI: 10.1016/S0010-9452(68)80002-4

Four different administrations of a finger localization test were given to each of 18 non-defective first-grade school children; the order of administration was varied over subjects in a manner designed to minimize practice effects. In all administrations the subject's hand was hidden from view, but a two-dimensional model of the hand was in view just above his hand. In two administrations (one with a model that bore numbers on the fingers and one with a model that had no numbers) the subject responded verbally by saying the number of the finger touched; in the other two administrations (again, one with numbered model and one with unnumbered model) the subject responded nonverbally by pointing to the corresponding finger on the model. It was found that subjects made significantly lower error scores when responding verbally than when pointing. Type of model, whether numbered or not, had no discernible process.