Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Language and spatial frames of reference in mind and brain.

C R. Gallistel1

  • 1Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, 08854-8020, Piscataway, NJ, USA

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|July 26, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Conditioning from an information processing perspective.

Behavioural processes·2003
Same author

Conception, perception and the control of action.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2002
Same journal

Geographical psychology: Spatial variation in psychological phenomena and their consequences.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

Multi-brain neurofeedback: what are we training for?

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

The developing vocal self.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

Searching beyond decrements: Attentional guidance across the adult lifespan.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

Looking into working memory through micro eye movements.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

Timescapes of non-human experience.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
See all related articles

Language influences spatial orientation, with some groups using allocentric directions (e.g., uphill-downhill) instead of egocentric ones (e.g., left-right). Recent findings suggest environmental factors, not just language, shape these spatial reference frames.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Linguistics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Different language communities employ distinct spatial reference frames: allocentric (e.g., "uphill-downhill") versus egocentric (e.g., "left-right").
  • Prior research indicated language-based differences in non-linguistic spatial tasks, such as recreating oriented arrays.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of language versus environmental factors in shaping spatial reference frames.
  • To determine if non-linguistic factors can induce allocentric or egocentric spatial strategies in speakers of languages typically using egocentric frames.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental manipulation of test conditions for monolingual English speakers.
  • Assessment of spatial orientation strategies in participants under varied environmental cues.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Monolingual English speakers exhibited altered spatial reference frame usage when experimental conditions were manipulated.
  • Observed effects in human participants were comparable to those seen in animal studies, suggesting environmental influence.

Conclusions:

  • Spatial reference frame preferences may be more malleable and influenced by environmental context than previously assumed based solely on language.
  • Findings challenge the direct linguistic determinism of spatial cognition and highlight the impact of situational factors.