Lecture 7: spatial cognition Flashcards
Spatial scale
- Body
- Grasping: what we can touch.
- Instrumental grasping: a bit further.
- Near distant action space: where you can move.
- Far distant action space: where you can move further.
- Visual background: something we know is there.
Small vs. large scale space
Small scale space is your direct surroundings (where did I put my glassed?) and large scale space (where will I go next on the map?).
Models of what small and large scale space is
- Unitary model: they are the same.
- Total dissociation model: they are completely different.
- Mediation model: there is a moderator between them.
- Partial dissociation model: there is overlap between them (MOST ACCURATE).
Cognitive domains of small scale space
- Spatial perception.
- Spatial attention.
- Spatial memory.
- Spatial action.
Different cues for perception
- Binocular cues: to identify dept.
- Monocular cues: using our knowledge of the world around us to interpret the size of object.
(Depth vision can be measures with block tests.)
Spatial relations
Being able to see the obstructures around us and the relations between the obstructures and yourself (like picking up a glass). Spatial relations also cause us to be able to follow spatial instructions (go right, go left). There are 2 types of relations between and within objects:
1. Categorial: left, rights, straight (left hemisphere).
2. Coordinate: metric properties (5km, 2cm). Comparing the relative distance in our environement (right hemisphere).
Dot bar paradigm
Indicating if a dot is between, above of below other dots.
If the performance goes up –> the left visual field reflects the right hemisphere performance and the left hemisphere is better at coordinate performance.
Brain damage in the left hemisphere
Causes a lot of trouble with categorical changes (the hammer is above the door).
Neglect
Disability to perceive stimuli contralateral to our brain damage. It occurs without any perceptual or motor problems.
The right hemisphere is often damaged, which is responsible for attention and intention for both the right and left side. If there is damage in the left hemisphere, the right side is often still able to compensate for this.
Prism adaptation (with glasses) can help, because it causes objects to be more right/left than they are.
Ego vs. allocentric
- Egocentric: coding from your own viewpoint. Easily disturbed.
- Allocentric: coding from objects / other points in the room besides yourself. Less easily disturbed.
Constructional apraxia
Action impairment in combining and organising spatial aspects (bringing it together, like all the aspects of a house). The block design test is used to measure this.
Large scale spatial cognition is important for
- Orientation: static, for determining your location. Where am I?
- Navigation: dynamic, for reaching your goals. How do I get there?
Orientation
Determining your position in large space by object location memory and one’s own location. You can do this in 2 different ways:
1. Landmark-based memory: the association between an object and a landmark (the projector is next to the socklet).
2. Boundary-based memory: incidential leraning (using hte walls of the room as boundaries.
Navigation strategies
- Route following: following standard tracks.
- Piloting: finding your goals by exploration (Morris water maze).
- Dead reckoning: using your bodily movements/directions to determine where you are (like when you are walking in a straight line, you know the start point in straight behind you.)
Individual variation in spatial cognition
- Females mostly focus on landmarkt and males on cardinal direction (left/right).
- Children use perspective strategies and navigation ability decreases with age.
- There is a male advantage in mental rotation, water level test and line orientation.
- Women have a route strategy and men have an orientation strategie.
- Females report more spatial anxiety, which influences their performance.
