Visual Reorientation Illusions: Revealing Inter-individual Differences in Spatial Cognition
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2022-07-08
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en
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Abstract
The present study investigates the largely uncharted phenomenon of visual reorientation
illusions (VRI) in the context of day-to-day life. Individuals who experience the phenomenon
report regularly experiencing sudden changes in their allocentric sense of orientation.
Through the use of a screening questionnaire, it is investigated whether the reported
experiences are homogenous across participants. The results demonstrated that the
experiences of individuals who experience VRIs are largely homogenous and characterised
by several key characteristics. To investigate individual differences in spatial cognition
associated with the experience of VRIs, a group of individuals who experience VRIs (N = 15)
were compared to a control group (N = 17) on two measures of spatial ability. First, selfreported
navigation ability was assessed using the Santa Barbara Sense of Direction scale.
While the VRI group did not differ from the control group in terms of their overall score, they
scored higher on questions concerning allocentric spatial navigation, an advanced spatial
strategy which allows for navigation independent of an individual’s own egocentric
viewpoint. Second, the groups did not differ in their performance on a mental rotation task.
Additionally, a letter version of the n-back task was included as a control task in order to
control for deficits in executive functioning. Since the groups did not show any differences
with regards to their executive functioning, differences in other measures cannot be attributed
to an impairment in this domain. Overall, the results indicate that the phenomenon of VRIs
experienced in day-to-day life is a homogenous phenomenon which is associated with an
increase in allocentric spatial navigation ability.
Keywords: visual reorientation illusions, spatial navigation, mental rotation, individual
differences
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen