A 2! 2 ANOVA on the extent of mental simulation
revealed two main effects: Participants who listened to
the scenario with closed eyes mentally simulated more
extensively than those who listened to it with open eyes,
F(1, 148) = 13.85, p < .001, g2 = .09, and participants who
were instructed to simulate reported mentally simulating
more extensively than those who received no instructions,
F(1, 148) = 9.50, p < .01, g2 = .06. These findings were qualified
by a significant interaction, F(1, 148) = 6.19, p < .02,
g2 = .04 (Table 3). As predicted, instructions to simulate
did not affect the extent of simulation among participants
who listened with closed eyes, F < 1, but did cause an increase
in simulation among those who listened with open
eyes F(1, 148) = 13.97, p < .001. There were no significant
differences across conditions in the number of comprehension
questions correctly answered (all ps > .67), suggesting
that closing one’s eyes did not affect the amount of attention
that participants were paying to the scenario.