title: Differences between Spatial and Visual Mental Representations.
abstract: This article investigates the relationship between visual mental representations and spatial mental representations in human visuo-spatial processing. By comparing two common theories of visuo-spatial processing - mental model theory and the theory of mental imagery - we identified two open questions: (1) which representations are modality-specific, and (2) what is the role of the two representations in reasoning. Two experiments examining eye movements and preferences for under-specified problems were conducted to investigate these questions. We found that significant spontaneous eye movements along the processed spatial relations occurred only when a visual mental representation is employed, but not with a spatial mental representation. Furthermore, the preferences for the answers of the under-specified problems differed between the two mental representations. The results challenge assumptions made by mental model theory and the theory of mental imagery.
authors.affiliation: SFB/TR 8 Spatial Cognition, Universität Bremen Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan Frederik
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sima
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schultheis
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barkowsky
keywords: eye tracking; mental imagery; mental models; mental representation; preferred mental models; spatial mental representation; visual mental representation