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Comparing level 1 and level 2 visuo-spatial perspective-taking in the brain: evidence from fMRI
Matthias Schurz1,2, Matthias G Tholen2,3, Martin Kronbichler2,4
1Department of Psychology and Digital Science Center, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Social Neuroscience
|April 25, 2025
Summary
Level 2 visuo-spatial perspective-taking (VSPT), judging object appearance from different viewpoints, engages the dorsal attention and frontoparietal networks. This contrasts with simpler Level 1 VSPT, highlighting the neural basis of complex social cognition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Cognition
Background:
- Visuo-spatial perspective-taking (VSPT) involves understanding others' visual fields (Level 1) or how objects appear from different viewpoints (Level 2).
- Level 2 VSPT is more complex, linked to social cognition and mentalizing, but direct neuroscientific comparisons of VSPT levels are lacking.
- Previous research suggests Level 1 VSPT is relatively effortless, while Level 2 requires more complex cognitive processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly compare the neural correlates of Level 1 and Level 2 visuo-spatial perspective-taking (VSPT) using fMRI.
- To identify brain regions specifically associated with Level 2 VSPT, distinguishing them from those involved in stimulus ambiguity and complexity.
- To investigate the functional connectivity underlying Level 2 VSPT.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Employed a within-subject fMRI design comparing Level 2 VSPT with Level 1 VSPT using an activation contrast of inconsistent versus consistent perspectives.
- Study 2: Further differentiated Level 2 VSPT regions by presenting ambiguous and unambiguous stimuli from various viewpoints.
- Functional connectivity analysis was used to examine network interactions during Level 2 VSPT.
Main Results:
- Both studies revealed significant brain activation for Level 2 VSPT in the dorsal attention network.
- Connectivity analyses indicated that Level 2 VSPT relies heavily on the interplay between the dorsal attention network and the frontoparietal network.
- These findings suggest a neural basis for Level 2 VSPT involving visuospatial attention and inhibitory control.
Conclusions:
- Level 2 VSPT, crucial for higher-level social cognition, is supported by distinct neural networks involving attention and executive control.
- The findings provide neuroscientific evidence for the engagement of visuospatial attention and inhibitory processes in complex perspective-taking.
- This research contributes to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition and mentalizing.
