title: Evidence of different developmental trajectories for length estimation according to egocentric and allocentric viewpoints in children and adults.
abstract: This study investigated the influence of egocentric and allocentric viewpoints on a comparison task of length estimation in children and adults. A total of 100 participants ranging in age from 5 years to adulthood were presented with virtual scenes representing a park landscape with two paths, one straight and one serpentine. Scenes were presented either from an egocentric or allocentric viewpoint. Results showed that when the two paths had the same length, participants always overestimated the length of the straight line for allocentric trials, whereas a development from a systematic overestimation in children to an underestimation of the straight line length in adults was found for egocentric trials. We discuss these findings in terms of the influences of both bias-inhibition processes and school acquisitions.
authors.affiliation: UMR 6232, Ci-NAPS, CNRS, CEA, University of Caen & University of Paris Descartes, Sorbonne, <location>Paris, France</location>
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Poirel
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Arlette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pineau
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lanoë
authors.forename: Gaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leroux
authors.forename: Amélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.forename: Marie-Renée
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Turbelin
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berthoz
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Houdé
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology