Affiliations: Helmholtz Institute, Experimental Psychology, Utrecht
University, Utrecht, The Netherlands | Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre
Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Note: [] Corresponding author: Ineke J.M. van der Ham, Helmholtz
Institute, Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Spatial relations between objects can be represented in a
categorical and in a coordinate manner. Categorical representations reflect
abstract relations, like 'left of' or 'under', whereas coordinate
representations concern exact metric distances between objects. These two types
of spatial relations are thought to be linked to a left hemisphere and a right
hemisphere advantage, respectively. This lateralization pattern was examined in
a visual search task, making use of natural scenes, in patients with unilateral
brain damage and healthy controls. In addition, all participants performed a
low-level spatial relation processing task. The results suggest that the
lateralization pattern commonly found for spatial relation processing in
low-level perceptual tasks is also applicable to the processing of complex
visual scenes.
Keywords: Spatial relations, lateralization, scene perception
