Use of local and global geometry from object arrays by adult humans

Disoriented men and women were trained to search for a goal hidden in front of one of four objects forming a rectangular-shaped array. The angular properties of these objects (either 50° or 75°) served as local geometric cues and the rectangular shape of the array served as global geometric cues. Upon successful completion of training, transformation tests were conducted during which either the local angle cues were removed and the global geometry was preserved (Global Cues test) or the local angles were preserved and the global geometry was removed (Local Cues test). A Cue Conflict test was also conducted which placed the local geometry in direct competition with the global geometry for control of search behavior. Results from testing showed that neither men nor women could successfully use only the global geometric cues provided by the shape of the array to reorient. Analyses of sex differences for the use of local cues revealed that men showed clear evidence that they had successfully encoded the local angular cues whereas women did not. Furthermore, the size of the training angle may have affected the encoding of local cues.