Modality matters: Space-time mappings differ in vision and audition
(2019) Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Spatial Cognition — Location: Rome, Italy
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- Authors
Casasanto, Daniel 
- Abstract
- Background: What is the relationship between space and time in the human mind? Many experiments show a space–time asymmetry: People use space to think about time more than vice versa. By hypothesis, this asymmetry arises because spatial aspects of events are more available to perceive, imagine, or reproduce than temporal aspects. Yet, this difference may be specific to vision: In audition, temporal information may often be more available than spatial information. If so, the space–time asymmetry should differ across sensory modalities, accordingly. Aim: To determine whether the relationship between space and time in the mind depends on the modality in which spatial and temporal information is perceived. Method: Participants were presented with a focal source of sound (auditory condition) or light (visual condition) that traveled across a speaker array or projector screen. 5 distances and 5 durations were crossed to produce 25 unique stimuli in each modality. Distances and durations were matched across modalities in their subjective magnitudes (Subjectively Matched) or their physical magnitudes (Physically Matched). Participants reproduced either the spatial or temporal magnitude of each stimulus. Results: In vision, we found the standard space–time asymmetry: task-irrelevant spatial information influenced temporal reproduction more than vice versa. In audition, however, this relationship between space and time changed. For Subjectively Matched stimuli, time influenced space as much as vice versa; for Physically Matched stimuli, time influenced space more than vice versa. Conclusions: The relationship between space and time in the mind varies by modality and is shaped by their relative perceptual availability
- Affiliations
University of Chicago Cornell University
Citations
Gijssels, T., Pitt, B., Bottini, R., Battal, C., Collignon, O., & Casasanto, D. (2019). Modality matters: Space-time mappings differ in vision and audition. Cognitive Processing : international quarterly of cognitive science, 19(1), S39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-018-0884-3 (Original work published 2019)