Effects of Mental Footnotes on the Trajectory Movement in a Driving Simulation Task

ABSTRACT

A number of experimental results about the influence of attention on movement have been explained by theoretical models based on neuronal movement codification. These models have been recently questioned by findings that prove that the kind of influence on movement of the same attentional cue—with a supposedly similar neuronal codification—depends on their contextual significance. This research focused on this meaning dependency using endogenous cues that require a mental representation of directions, that is to say, representation of the way to take. To this end, obligation and prohibition traffic signs to indicate two possible route options during a tracking task were selected. The author found that participants tend to deviate from the direction of the movement mentally represented—an effect dubbed semantic repulsion.

Keywords:

• exogenous attention
• endogenous attention
• traffic sign
• mental models
• mental footnote
• attention-movement

FUNDING

This work has been possible thanks to the funding of the Ministry of Science of Spain (AP2005-4667).