Bridgemanian space constancy as a precursor to extended cognition
Michael J Spivey1, Brandon J Batzloff1
1Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, United States.
Consciousness and Cognition
|May 1, 2018
Summary
Space constancy perception arises not from a stitched-together mental map, but from the brain assuming external space is stable. Objects can act as their own representations for cognitive tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Vision Science
Background:
- Historically, space constancy was attributed to internal mental representations of visual environments.
- This view assumed visual snapshots from eye movements were stitched together.
- This process posed a significant puzzle for vision researchers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanism behind space constancy.
- To re-evaluate the role of internal mental representations in visual perception.
- To extend Bruce Bridgeman's findings on space constancy.
Main Methods:
- Meticulous psychophysical experimentation.
- Theoretical insight into neural information processing.
- Analysis of saccade amplitude and direction coding.
Main Results:
- The brain does not construct a contiguous internal mental representation of the visual environment.
- Neural information for saccades is too inaccurate for precise spatial mapping.
- Space constancy results from the brain assuming external space stability.
Conclusions:
- Perception of space constancy relies on the brain's assumption of stable external space, not a detailed internal map.
- Objects in the world can function as direct representations for cognitive operations.
- This challenges traditional models of visual perception and representation.
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