Egocentric and Allocentric Reference Frames Can Flexibly Support Contextual Cueing

Abstract

We investigated if contextual cueing can be guided by egocentric and allocentric reference frames. Combinations of search configurations and external frame orientations were learned during a training phase. In Experiment 1, either the frame orientation or the configuration was rotated, thereby disrupting either the allocentric or egocentric and allocentric predictions of the target location. Contextual cueing survived both of these manipulations, suggesting that it can overcome interference from both reference frames. In contrast, when changed orientations of the external frame became valid predictors of the target location in Experiment 2, we observed contextual cueing as long as one reference frame was predictive of the target location, but contextual cueing was eliminated when both reference frames were invalid. Thus, search guidance in repeated contexts can be supported by both egocentric and allocentric reference frames as long as they contain valid information about the search goal.

Distractor suppression operates exclusively in retinotopic coordinates

“…This implies that the likely target location was not learned in a retinotopic manner (i.e., relative to the eyes) but within an egocentric reference frame (i.e., relative to the head-body). Consequently, it appears that there is not only a lack of remapping of statistical learning effects from retinotopic to spatiotopic coordinates following eye movements but also an absence of updating the egocentric reference frame to an environmentally stable reference frame after body and head movements (but also see Jiang et al, 2014; Smith et al, 2010; Zheng et al, 2021). Given our continuous eye and body movements, the practical use of learned attentional biases becomes uncertain when they are not remapped from retinotopic or egocentric coordinates to spatiotopic coordinates.…”