The effect of text continuity on spatial representation: route versus survey perspective

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Spatial Cognition
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Spatial-sequential ability is recognized as vital for processing route information.
• Prior studies focused on individual abilities, but the current research investigates the impact of information presentation on spatial representation construction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the hypothesis that constructing accurate spatial representations from route descriptions relies more on text continuity than on a survey perspective.
• To examine how manipulating text continuity affects spatial representation accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Forty-eight participants were presented with spatial texts describing a route under three continuity conditions: continuous, semi-continuous, and discontinuous.
• Participants then drew maps based on the texts.
• Text continuity was manipulated by reordering sentences within the descriptive texts.

Main Results:

• Performance in constructing spatial representations decreased significantly in the absence of text continuity when participants adopted a route perspective.
• This performance decrease was less pronounced when participants utilized a survey perspective.
• The findings suggest a reliance on sequentially presented information during route perspective processing.

Conclusions:

• Text continuity is essential for effective spatial representation from route descriptions, particularly when adopting a route perspective.
• The cognitive processing of route information, not just surface-level description, is influenced by sequential presentation.
• Survey perspectives appear more robust to disruptions in text continuity compared to route perspectives.