Body and head tilt reveals multiple frames of reference for spatial attention

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Psychophysics
• Visual Perception

Background:

• Spatial attention theories propose maplike representations prioritizing locations.
• Viewer movement complicates understanding whether attention is viewer- or environment-centered.
• Previous studies using eye movements could not distinguish these components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether spatial attention is viewer-centered or environment-centered.
• To dissociate viewer-centered and environment-centered representations using head/body tilts.
• To determine the nature of spatial bias following viewer rotation.

Main Methods:

• Participants developed a sustained attentional bias to a specific display region.
• Head and/or body tilts were introduced in the vertical plane.
• The spatial location of the attentional bias was re-evaluated after tilting.

Main Results:

• Spatial attention demonstrated a viewer-centered component that rotated with head movements.
• An environment-centered component, fixed to external locations, was also observed.
• These findings indicate a dual nature of spatial attentional representation.

Conclusions:

• Spatial attention is not solely viewer- or environment-centered but comprises both.
• Viewer-centered attention aligns with the head's orientation.
• Environment-centered attention remains fixed to external spatial coordinates.