The mental scanning paradigm has demonstrated that spatial visual images preserve the metric properties of what they represent, that is they reflect the relative distances among locations of a map. However, it is not still clear whether these properties also include the absolute actual size of space. The present experiment aimed at exploring the influence of the size of the locomotor space on the scanning times. Moreover, the relationship between measures of the scanning performance (learning and scanning time) and self-reported strategies was studied. Participants were asked to walk on two paths of same shape but different size enclosed within a parking area (16 X 25 m) until they memorised them. Afterwards, they had to mentally scan them. Results showed that scanned distance and scanning time were linearly correlated, that when mentally scanning over the larger environment participants who took a longer learning time showed also a longer scanning time and that reported representation of the layout as a whole was linked to short scanning time whereas a reported representation in partial views was linked to a long scanning time. In conclusion, locomotion-based mental images embody the relative size of the represented environment and also its absolute size when the environment is large enough and a long time is taken to accurately memorise it.

Mental scanning of spatial images generated from locomotion

IACHINI, Santa;RUGGIERO, Gennaro;GNISCI, Augusto
2006

Abstract

The mental scanning paradigm has demonstrated that spatial visual images preserve the metric properties of what they represent, that is they reflect the relative distances among locations of a map. However, it is not still clear whether these properties also include the absolute actual size of space. The present experiment aimed at exploring the influence of the size of the locomotor space on the scanning times. Moreover, the relationship between measures of the scanning performance (learning and scanning time) and self-reported strategies was studied. Participants were asked to walk on two paths of same shape but different size enclosed within a parking area (16 X 25 m) until they memorised them. Afterwards, they had to mentally scan them. Results showed that scanned distance and scanning time were linearly correlated, that when mentally scanning over the larger environment participants who took a longer learning time showed also a longer scanning time and that reported representation of the layout as a whole was linked to short scanning time whereas a reported representation in partial views was linked to a long scanning time. In conclusion, locomotion-based mental images embody the relative size of the represented environment and also its absolute size when the environment is large enough and a long time is taken to accurately memorise it.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11591/231482
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