Long Lasting Egocentric Disorientation Induced by Normal Sensori-Motor Spatial Interaction
2009

Long Lasting Egocentric Disorientation Induced by Normal Sensori-Motor Spatial Interaction

Sample size: 12 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Dupierrix Eve, Gresty Michael, Ohlmann Théophile, Chokron Sylvie

Primary Institution: Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Perception et de l'Action (LPPA), CNRS, UMR 7152, Collège de France, Paris, France

Hypothesis

Can a brief lateralized sensori-motor task induce long-lasting changes in the perception of spatial direction?

Conclusion

The study found that interactions with the environment can significantly influence the perception of spatial direction without artificial distortions.

Supporting Evidence

  • Participants showed a significant deviation in their perception of 'straight ahead' after the pointing task.
  • The deviation was approximately 3.2 degrees towards the side they pointed.
  • Results suggest that spatial perception is influenced by past sensori-motor experiences.

Takeaway

When people point in one direction for a short time, they might think that direction is straight ahead even after they stop pointing.

Methodology

Twelve right-handed adults pointed to indicate their subjective 'straight ahead' before, immediately after, and one day after a lateralized pointing task.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the small sample size and the specific demographic of participants.

Limitations

The study involved a small sample size and only right-handed participants.

Participant Demographics

Twelve right-handed healthy adults, mean age 21.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0004465

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