![Sample our Behavioral Sciences journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/110801/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Behavioral-Sciences.jpg"})
Abstract
Two experiments examined how locations in environmental spaces, which cannot be overseen from one location, are represented in memory: by global reference frames, multiple local reference frames, or orientation-free representations. After learning an immersive virtual environment by repeatedly walking a closed multisegment route, participants pointed to seven previously learned targets from different locations. Contrary to many conceptions of survey knowledge, local reference frames played an important role: Participants performed better when their body or pointing targets were aligned with the local reference frame (corridor). Moreover, most participants turned their head to align it with local reference frames. However, indications for global reference frames were also found: Participants performed better when their body or current corridor was parallel/orthogonal to a global reference frame instead of oblique. Participants showing this pattern performed comparatively better. We conclude that survey tasks can be solved based on interconnected local reference frames. Participants who pointed more accurately or quickly additionally used global reference frames.
This research was supported by the EU grant “Wayfinding” (6th FP–NEST), the Max Planck Society, and by the WCU (World Class University) programme funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology through the National Research Foundation of Korea (R31-10008). The authors thank Naima Laharnar for help in data collection and processing, Michael Weyel, Gerald Franz, and Hans-Günther Nusseck for support in programming and setting up the virtual reality, Daniel Berger for help in writing, and Trevor Dodds for proof reading an earlier version.