Shape shifting: Local landmarks interfere with navigation by, and recognition of, global shape.

ABSTRACT: An influential theory of spatial navigation states that the boundary shape of an environment is preferentially encoded over and above other spatial cues, such that it is impervious to interference from alternative sources of information. We explored this claim with 3 intradimensional-extradimensional shift experiments, designed to examine the interaction of landmark and geometric features of the environment in a virtual navigation task. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were first required to find a hidden goal using information provided by the shape of the arena or landmarks integrated into the arena boundary (Experiment 1) or within the arena itself (Experiment 2). Participants were then transferred to a different-shaped arena that contained novel landmarks and were again required to

SUBMITTER: Buckley MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3933217 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature