Final answer:
In a symbolic cuing task, the participant's reaction will be faster when the arrow points towards the direction where the stimulus appears, due to the effects of spatial cueing and valid cueing.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a symbolic cuing task, if an arrow points toward the right and the stimulus then appears on the right, the participant's reaction to the stimulus will likely be faster than if the arrow pointed toward the left and the stimulus appeared on the right. This occurs because when the cue accurately predicts the location of the stimulus, it leads to an effect known as spatial cueing. The presence of an arrow acts as a preparatory signal that enhances the participant's readiness for stimulus that aligns with the cue, thus enabling a quicker response. Reaction times tend to be shorter when the direction of the cue corresponds with the location of the stimulus. The reason behind this involves attentional processes, where attention is guided in the direction of the arrow, facilitating faster processing of the stimulus that appears in that location. This is often referred to as valid cueing, contrasting with invalid cueing when the cue misleads and points away from the stimulus location, typically resulting in slower reaction times.