The Mental Comparison of Distances in a Verbally Described Spatial Layout: Effects of Visual Deprivation

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the metric properties of spatial representations built from the verbal description of a spatial layout in early blind, late blind, and transiently visually deprived sighted participants. We adapted the verbal descriptions designed by Denis and Zimmer [1]. Participants had to mentally compare distances separating pairs of landmarks. The analysis of the frequency of correct responses suggests that visual experience does not play a crucial role in the preservation of the topology of a memorized spatial configuration. However, response times differed significantly among groups, with participants who experienced transient visual deprivation being overall faster than those suffering permanent loss of vision. Lastly, for all groups, the smaller the difference between two pairs of distances, the longer the response time, which attests to the presence of a symbolic distance effect. To conclude, if mental representations can be considered as reflecting described spatial layouts analogically, our data do not provide any strong evidence in favor of the visual character of these analog representations.