Mechanisms for Human Spatial Competence

Abstract

Abstract.Research spanning decades has generated a long list of phenomena associated with human spatial information processing. Additionally, a number of theories have been proposed about the representation, organization and processing of spatial information by humans. This paper presents a broad account of human spatial competence, integrated with the ACT-R cognitive architecture. Using a cognitive architecture grounds the research in a validated theory of human cognition, enhancing the plausibility of the overall account. This work posits a close link of aspects of spatial information processing to vision and motor planning, and integrates theoretical perspectives that have been proposed over the history of research in this area. In addition, the account is supported by evidence from neuropsychological investigations of human spatial ability. The mechanisms provide a means of accounting for a broad range of phenomena described in the experimental literature.

12th Biannual conference of the German cognitive science society (Gesellschaft für Kognitionswissenschaft)

“…Since ACT-R does not provide structures for modeling spatial cognitive processes, an architecture extension based on Gunzelmann and Lyon's (2007) concept was developed. Adding the structures for spatial processes to the architecture will enable ACT-R modelers to address a broad range of applied tasks that rely on spatial competence.…”

Casimir: An Architecture for Mental Spatial Knowledge Processing

“…Moreover, from a structural point of view, there are no representation structures that are specific for certain types of knowledge, but there is rather one digital image that is used as a universal structure. An alternative approach by Gunzelmann and Lyon (2007) presents a broad theoretical architecture for modeling human spatial information processing facilities based on ACT‐R. Similar to Casimir, the intention is to be able to address—at least on a conceptual level—a wide range of phenomena of human spatial knowledge processing.…”

Embodied Spatial Cognition

“…These modules provide some very simple spatial information (e.g., left, right, top, down, near). There is substantial neurological and psychological evidence that visual and spatial systems are distinct but interconnected to each other (Klatzky, 1998; McNamara & Shelton, 2003), and there have been several proposed systems to develop spatial competence in ACT‐R (summarized in Gunzelmann & Lyon, 2007). As both gaze‐following and Level 1 perspective taking require greater spatial competence than traditional ACT‐R affords, we have added a set of spatial modules to ACT‐R (the manipulative and configural modules).…”