Is power–space a continuum? Distance effect during power judgments

• Reaction time decreased with the power distance.
• Accuracy increased with the power distance.
• Power space is continuous.

Despite the increasing evidence suggesting that power processing can activate vertical space schema, it still remains unclear whether this power–space is dichotomic or continuous. Here we tested the nature of the power–space by the distance effect, a continuous property of space cognition. In two experiments, participants were required to judge the power of one single word (Experiment 1) or compare the power of two words presented in pairs (Experiment 2). The power distance was indexed by the absolute difference of power ratings. Results demonstrated that reaction time decreased with the power distance, whereas accuracy increased with the power distance. The findings indicated that different levels of power were presented as different vertical heights, implying that there was a common mechanism underlying space and power cognition.