Transfer of spatial search between environments in human adults and young children (Homo sapiens): Implications for representation of local geometry by spatial systems
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Usherwood, Barrie
Fragkioudaki, Frantzeska
Koukoumi, Varvara
Smith, Shamus P
Austen, Joe M
McGregor, Anthony
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Abstract
Whether animals represent environmental geometry in a global and/or local way has been the subject of recent debate. We applied a transfer of search paradigm between rectangular- and kite-shaped arenas to examine the performance of human adults (using virtual environments) and children of 2.5-3.5 years (using real arenas). Adults showed robust transfer to a congruent corner in a kite-shaped arena, following training in a rectangular-shaped arena in two paradigms modeled on those used with rats and young children respectively. In contrast, the children showed no evidence of transfer of search, despite above chance performance in the rectangular arena, and above chance performance in a study where search occurred in the kite arena only. The pattern of findings suggests global aspects of environmental geometry may be used to re-establish heading, and that the matching of elements of local geometry in new global contexts may be an advanced developmental achievement.
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Developmental Psychobiology
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56
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3
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© 2014 Society for the Study of Addiction. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Transfer of spatial search between environments in human adults and young children (Homo sapiens): Implications for representation of local geometry by spatial systems, Developmental Psychobiology, 2014, 56 (3), pp. 421-434, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21109. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
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Lew, AR; Usherwood, B; Fragkioudaki, F; Koukoumi, V; Smith, SP; Austen, JM; McGregor, A, Transfer of spatial search between environments in human adults and young children (Homo sapiens): Implications for representation of local geometry by spatial systems, Developmental Psychobiology, 2014, 56 (3), pp. 421-434