title: The first-perspective alignment effect: the role of environmental complexity and familiarity with surroundings.
abstract: People often remember relatively novel environments from the first perspective encountered or the first direction of travel. This initial perspective can determine a preferred orientation that facilitates the efficiency of spatial judgements at multiple recalled locations. The present study examined this "first-perspective alignment effect" (FPA effect). In three experiments, university students explored three-path routes through computer-simulated spaces presented on a desktop computer screen. Spatial memory was then tested employing a "judgement of relative direction" task. Contrary to the predictions of a previous account, Experiment 1 found a reliable FPA effect in barren and complex environments. Experiment 2 strongly implicated the importance of complete novelty of the space surrounding the route in producing the effect. Experiment 3 found that, while familiarity with the surrounding space greatly attenuated the FPA effect with immediate testing, the effect reemerged following a 7-day delay to testing. The implications for the encoding and retrieval of spatial reference frames are discussed.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Michael.tlauka@flinders.edu.au
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tlauka
authors.forename: Pelham
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mahlberg
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009949:Orientation; D011930:Reaction Time; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult