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Constructing representations of spatial location from briefly presented displays
Glenn Gunzelmann1, Don R Lyon2
1Air Force Research Laboratory, Cognitive Models and Agents Branch, Wright Patterson AFB, 2620 Q St. - Building 852, Dayton, OH, 45433, USA. glenn.gunzelmann@us.af.mil.
Cognitive Processing
|July 29, 2016
Summary
Early perceptual processes shape spatial memory, even with brief visual input. Experience influences how we form spatial representations, demonstrating their flexibility.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Spatial memory and reasoning depend on allocentric representations.
- The construction of these spatial representations, particularly early stages, is not well understood.
- It is unclear if pre-attentive spatial processing is innate or shaped by experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether early, pre-attentive spatial processing can be altered by experience.
- To examine the malleability of spatial representation formation.
Main Methods:
- Participants viewed briefly presented (53 ms) masked visual stimuli with a target and reference features.
- The location of the feature array was shifted.
- Participants identified the target's new relative location.
Main Results:
- Experience altered feature processing, even with sub-saccadic display durations.
- This occurred before attention could be re-allocated.
Conclusions:
- Early perceptual processes are crucial for creating spatial location representations.
- These processes are adaptable and influenced by experience and expectations.
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