Exploring similarities and differences between gaze and arrow targets in spatial interference tasks: A Drift Diffusion Modeling approach.

In social attention research, the spatial interference paradigm reveals distinct congruency effects with gaze and arrow targets. Arrows typically induces a standard congruency effect (SCE), where responses are faster when the target’s direction aligns with its location. Conversely, gaze targets yield a reversed congruency effect (RCE), with slower responses under these conditions. It is hypothesized that gaze cues, while triggering an SCE similar to arrows, introduce an additional social component that contributes to the RCE. To better understand these dynamics, we applied the Drift Diffusion Model (DDM) to analyse four published datasets: Marotta et al. (2018; 2019) using a between-block design and Hemmerich et al. (2022) using a within-block design. We estimated three DDM parameter, drift rate, threshold boundary, and non-decision time, allowing them to vary across target types and congruency levels. We then built a linear mixed model from all the studies to compare these parameters. Our results revealed a significant interaction between target type and congruency for all parameters. Specifically, arrow targets consistently displayed differential patterns between congruent and incongruent conditions across the DDM parameters, aligning with the SCE. However, gaze targets showed no significant differences in drift rate but did exhibit a numerical reversion. Additionally, non-decision time was the only parameter demonstrating a main effect of block design. These findings suggest that gaze processing might involves additional information handling compared to arrows, potentially contributing to the observed RCE in reaction times. Further in-depth exploration of these effects is necessary.