Many cognitive experiments have shown that iconic dimensional conformations are prominent in implicit thought and perception of authority ranking relations. Cognitive experiments are designed to isolate the parameters of interest, or hold other parameters constant, so as to be able to make strong causal inferences. Schubert’s 2005 study showed pairs of role terms to German participants and told them to respond as quickly as possible to indicate with the UP or DOWN key to indicate whether the more powerful role terms was above or below the other role term. Participants responded significantly more slowly when the powerful role was displayed on the screen below the less powerful, compared to when the powerful role was displayed above the less powerful (Schubert 2005). Other researchers have replicated Schubert’s results, and extended them to surface area and to mass. Also, preverbal infants readily recognize that iconic dimensional conformations mean authority ranking relationships.