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Psychology

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Eastern Illinois University

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Spatial abilities

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Where Is Uphill? Exploring Sex Differences When Reorienting On A Sloped Environment Presented Through 2-D Images, Daniele Nardi, Roberta Miloni, Marco Orlandi, Marta Olivetti-Belardinelli Jan 2014

Where Is Uphill? Exploring Sex Differences When Reorienting On A Sloped Environment Presented Through 2-D Images, Daniele Nardi, Roberta Miloni, Marco Orlandi, Marta Olivetti-Belardinelli

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

One of the spatial abilities that has recently revealed a remarkable variability in performance is that of using terrain slope to reorient. Previous studies have shown a very large disadvantage for females when the slope of the floor is the only information useful for encoding a goal location. However, the source of this sex difference is still unclear. The slope of the environment provides a directional source of information that is perceived through dissociable visual and kinesthetic sensory modalities. Here we focused on the visual information, and examined whether there are sex differences in the perception of a slope presented …


Reorienting With Terrain Slope And Landmarks, Daniele Nardi, Nora S. Newcombe, Thomas F. Shipley Jan 2013

Reorienting With Terrain Slope And Landmarks, Daniele Nardi, Nora S. Newcombe, Thomas F. Shipley

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Orientation (or reorientation) is the first step in navigation, because establishing a spatial frame of reference is essential for a sense of location and heading direction. Recent research on nonhuman animals has revealed that the vertical component of an environment provides an important source of spatial information, in both terrestrial and aquatic settings. Nonetheless, humans show large individual and sex differences in the ability to use terrain slope for reorientation. To understand why some participants—mainly women—exhibit a difficulty with slope, we tested reorientation in a richer environment than had been used previously, including both a tilted floor and a set …


The World Is Not Flat: Can People Reorient Using Slope?, Daniele Nardi, Nora S. Newcombe, Thomas F. Shipley Jan 2011

The World Is Not Flat: Can People Reorient Using Slope?, Daniele Nardi, Nora S. Newcombe, Thomas F. Shipley

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Studies of spatial representation generally focus on flat environments and visual input. However, the world is not flat, and slopes are part of most natural environments. In a series of 4 experiments, we examined whether humans can use a slope as a source of allocentric, directional information for reorientation. A target was hidden in a corner of a square, featureless enclosure tilted at a 5° angle. Finding it required using the vestibular, kinesthetic, and visual cues associated with the slope gradient. In Experiment 1, the overall sample performed above chance, showing that slope is sufficient for reorientation in a real …


The Role Of Slope In Human Reorientation, Daniele Nardi, Nora S. Newcombe, Thomas F. Shipley Jan 2010

The Role Of Slope In Human Reorientation, Daniele Nardi, Nora S. Newcombe, Thomas F. Shipley

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Studies of spatial representation generally focus on flat environments and visual stimuli. However, the world is not flat, and slopes are part of many natural environments. In a series of four experiments, we examined whether humans can use a slope as a source of allocentric, directional information for reorientation. A target was hidden in a corner of a square, featureless enclosure tilted at a 5° angle. Finding it required using the vestibular, kinesthetic and vis-ual cues associated with the slope gradient. Participants succeeded in the task; however, a large sex difference emerged. Men showed a greater ability in using slope …