A Neurobehavioral Model of Flexible Spatial Language Behaviors

We propose a neural dynamic model that specifies how low-level visual processes can be integrated with higher level cognition to achieve flexible spatial language behaviors. This model uses real-word visual input that is linked to relational spatial descriptions through a neural mechanism for refere...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition Vol. 38; no. 6; pp. 1490 - 1511
Main Authors Lipinski, John, Schneegans, Sebastian, Sandamirskaya, Yulia, Spencer, John P, Schoner, Gregor
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States American Psychological Association 01.11.2012
Subjects
Brain Hemisphere Functions
Cognition
Cognitive Processes
Humans
Language
Language Usage
Models, Psychological
Photic Stimulation
Space Perception
Spatial Ability
Speech
Task Analysis
Verbal Behavior
Visual Perception
Visual Stimuli
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Summary:We propose a neural dynamic model that specifies how low-level visual processes can be integrated with higher level cognition to achieve flexible spatial language behaviors. This model uses real-word visual input that is linked to relational spatial descriptions through a neural mechanism for reference frame transformations. We demonstrate that the system can extract spatial relations from visual scenes, select items based on relational spatial descriptions, and perform reference object selection in a single unified architecture. We further show that the performance of the system is consistent with behavioral data in humans by simulating results from 2 independent empirical studies, 1 spatial term rating task and 1 study of reference object selection behavior. The architecture we present thereby achieves a high degree of task flexibility under realistic stimulus conditions. At the same time, it also provides a detailed neural grounding for complex behavioral and cognitive processes. (Contains 10 figures, 2 tables, and 5 footnotes.)
ISSN:0278-7393
1939-1285
DOI:10.1037/a0022643