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Spatial reference frame of attention in a large outdoor environment
Yuhong V Jiang1, Bo-Yeong Won1, Khena M Swallow2
1Department of Psychology.
Summary
Spatial attention can adapt to viewer mobility and scale in natural environments. This study found that spatial attention shows greater flexibility in outdoor settings compared to lab-based tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Spatial Navigation
Background:
- A key debate in spatial attention research concerns whether representations are viewer-centered or environment-centered.
- Previous studies, primarily using computer-based tasks with stationary participants, have yielded mixed results, often favoring viewer-centered representations.
- Naturalistic behaviors involve viewer mobility and larger spatial scales, necessitating research in real-world environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how spatial attention is coded during naturalistic visual search in an outdoor environment.
- To determine if spatial attention adapts its reference frame based on viewer mobility and environmental scale.
- To compare attentional coding in a naturalistic setting with findings from controlled laboratory experiments.
Main Methods:
- An outdoor visual search task was designed in a large (690 sq ft) space.
- Participants searched for a coin on the ground and reported its orientation (heads or tails up).
- Attentional cuing was manipulated using statistical learning, with the target appearing in one quadrant 50% of the time, allowing for environment- or viewer-centered cueing.
Main Results:
- Participants successfully learned and utilized statistical regularities to guide their visual search, similar to computer-based tasks.
- Evidence suggests that attentional cuing in this naturalistic, mobile context can be referenced to either the external environment or the viewer.
- The findings indicate a greater flexibility in the spatial reference frame of attention than previously demonstrated in laboratory settings.
Conclusions:
- Spatial attention exhibits enhanced flexibility in natural environments, accommodating viewer mobility and environmental scale.
- The reference frame for spatial attention is not fixed and can adapt dynamically based on the context of the search.
- This research highlights the importance of studying cognitive processes, like spatial attention, in ecologically valid settings to understand their full capabilities.