Psychology Commons^™

Representing 3d Space In Working Memory: Spatial Images From Vision, Hearing, Touch, And Language, Jack M. Loomis, Roberta L. Klatzky, Nicholas A. Giudice

Spatial Information Science and Engineering Faculty Scholarship

The chapter deals with a form of transient spatial representation referred to as a spatial image. Like a percept, it is externalized, scaled to the environment, and can appear in any direction about the observer. It transcends the concept of modality, as it can be based on inputs from the three spatial senses, from language, and from long-term memory. Evidence is presented that supports each of the claimed properties of the spatial image, showing that it is quite different from a visual image. Much of the evidence presented is based on spatial updating. A major concern is whether spatial images …