Scanning of speechless comics changes spatial biases in mental model construction

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Lateral spatial biases in mental representations of time and number are influenced by reading/writing direction.
• These biases emerge before formal reading instruction, suggesting earlier developmental influences.
• Looking at picture books with carers, which often follow script directionality, is a potential early cause.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if early experiences with directional images induce spatial biases in mental model construction.
• To test the hypothesis that mental model construction in working memory underlies spatial biases for abstract concepts like time and number.

Main Methods:

• Adult Spanish participants viewed a speechless comic presented in either standard (left-to-right) or mirror-reversed (right-to-left) format.
• Participants were asked to draw scenes described by sentences, e.g., 'the square is between the cross and the circle'.
• The placement of objects in drawings served to reveal spatial biases during mental model construction.

Main Results:

• Consistent directional input from the comic influenced pre-existing lateral spatial biases.
• Mirror-reversed comic presentation altered established lateral biases in participants.
• This indicates that the directionality of visual input impacts spatial biases in mental representations.

Conclusions:

• Mental model construction within working memory is a plausible mechanism for generating spatial biases related to time and number.
• Early visual experiences with directional content can shape fundamental cognitive biases.
• This research sheds light on the development of abstract concept representation in the brain.