In previous research (DJ Bryant, B. Tversky, & N. Franklin, 1992; N. Franklin & B. Tversky,
1990), the authors showed that spatial knowledge conveyed by descriptions and direct …

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews that spatial descriptions spontaneously construct
spatial mental models of the described scenes as a natural consequence of reading for …

Three experiments investigated whether the similarity of relational structures influences the
interpretation of spatial representations. Adults were shown diagrams of hand gestures …

Four experiments explored readers' mental models of described scenes. Environments were
described from one of two perspectives, an internal perspective of an observer within the …

Spatial language is widely used, both literally to describe space and figuratively to express a
broad range of ideas. This article reviews two projects studying the nature of mental …

Abstract diagrams are powerful tools for comprehension and problem solving in diverse
contexts. Two studies examined the structural properties of (ie, applicability conditions for) …

In two experiments, participants received a spatial description relating a route through an
environment. Descriptions differed in terms of the spatial perspective presented, either route …

Mental models of text are representations of what the text is about (ie, situations), rather than
representations of the text itself. Many mental model theories propose that mental models …

Three classes of theories of the mental representation of spatial relations were tested.
Nonhierarchical theories propose that spatial relations among objects in an environment are …

When viewing an object or a scene, people necessarily have a specific perspective on it. Yet
when thinking about or describing an object or scene, people can free themselves from their …