Space-time compatibility effects in the auditory modality

Previous research suggests that past and future temporal concepts are spatially represented from left to right along a mental line. And these concepts can both prime motor responses to left or right space and direct visual spatial attention. The present study aimed at investigating the nature of this space-time conceptual metaphor in different auditory tasks. In the first experiment, subjects categorized time-related words (past or future) that were presented binaurally. In the second experiment, subjects detected left-ear or right-ear targets following time-related words. The similar space-time compatibility effects were found in these two experiments. Our results demonstrate that the activation of temporal concepts can both prime motor responses to left or right space and influence the orientation of auditory spatial attention, suggesting that the modality of the stimulus input is unimportant for the left-right mapping of time. These results are explained by the "intermediate coding" account.