Facilitated pointing to remembered objects in front: evidence for egocentric retrieval or for spatial priming?

Full Abstract

Recent spatial memory theories propose that long-term spatial memories are retrieved egocentrically. One source of evidence comes from imagined perspective taking, in which participants learn an object layout, later imagine standing at one object and facing a second (orienting) object, and then point to a third (target) object from the imagined perspective. Pointing is faster for target objects in the anterior than in the posterior half of imaginal space. This "front facilitation" is consistent with asymmetric sensory and biomechanical body properties (favoring the anterior half of body space), supporting claims of egocentric retrieval. However, front facilitation might actually result from spatial priming: Proximity differences might cause orienting objects to prime target objects more in the anterior than in the posterior half of imagined space. Using a modified perspective-taking task that unconfounded front facilitation and spatial priming, two experiments identified separate influences of front facilitation and spatial priming when participants imagined perspectives within the surrounding environment or a remote environment.

Author information

Author/s: Kelly, Jonathan W (JW); McNamara, Timothy P (TP);

Affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. jonathan.kelly(-atsign-)vanderbilt.edu

Grants: 2-R01-MH57868 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH057868-08 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Psychonomic bulletin & review (Psychon Bull Rev), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Apr; vol 16 (issue 2) : pp 295-300

Dates: Created 2009/03/18; Completed 2009/06/11;

PMID: 19293097, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 6/11/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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