The Influence of Reference Frame Selection on Spatial Template Construction

Abstract

The use of spatial relational terms requires the selection of a reference frame and the construction of a spatial template. The reference frame divides up space, indicating above/below, front/back, and left/right directions. Spatial templates are applied to reference frames and define regions in space that correspond to good, acceptable, and bad uses of particular spatial relations. In two experiments we examined whether reference frame selection influences the spatial templates that are constructed for the spatial relations “above” and “below.” Results indicated two such influences, one operating across trials and one operating within a trial. Across trials, the preferences for using the different types of reference frames directly influenced the parsing of space, such that when multiple spatial templates were constructed, they were combined to form a composite template. Spatial templates constructed for the different reference frames were very similar, indicating that the type of reference frame did not alter the overall shape or relative sizes of the regions within the spatial template. Within a trial, the activation of multiple reference frames during reference frame selection resulted in the construction of multiple spatial templates, even when instructions were given to respond on the basis of a single reference frame.