Individual Response–Effect Congruencies Modulate Subsequent Stimulus–Response Compatibility Effects

Abstract Expectations of the outcomes of our actions can directly influence response behavior. In 2 experiments, we demonstrate that the congruency between a response and its unanticipated effect (R-E congruency) can also influence task performance by moderating the magnitude of stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility effects on a subsequent trial. This is the case when response effects are physical locations that precede a location-based S-R compatibility task and when response effects are spatial words preceding a spatial word-based S-R compatibility task (Experiment 1). However, prior R-E congruency does not influence the subsequent S-R compatibility effect when the stimulus type has changed from location to word or vice versa (Experiment 2). In both experiments, the correspondence between the spatial information of the S-R task stimulus and prior effect also influences the S-R compatibility effect. We discuss how conflict control and event coding may lead to the observed results and why their influence is specific to spatial mode.