The multi-cue impact mechanism of spatial communication under different perspectives

Abstract: Spatial communication refers to the process of exchanging spatial information among collaborators in spatial cooperation tasks. Previous research has shown that social-spatial cues, environmental cues, and layout cues can influence spatial communication. However, the exploration of their multi-cue impact mechanisms has been insufficient. Additionally, factors like perspective and field cognitive style are worthy of investigation as they may affect spatial communication through their influence on spatial perspective-taking processes and spatial cue extraction. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of consistency in multiple spatial cues, spatial perspective-taking ability, and field cognitive style on spatial communication under different perspectives. Building upon the classical paradigm of spatial communication, this study investigated the multi-cue impact mechanisms by constructing more realistic small-scale indoor virtual environments. Study 1 examined the multi-cue effects on the expression process from the first-person perspective (Experiment 1) and the third-person perspective (Experiment 2). Study 2 explored the multi-cue effects on the reception process from the first-person perspective (Experiment 3) and the third-person perspective (Experiment 4). Study 1 employed a three-factor mixed design, with the core within-subject independent variable being the consistency of spatial cues, derived from social-spatial, environmental, and layout cues. The remaining between-subject variables were spatial perspective-taking ability and field cognitive style. Dependent variables included the ratio of choosing self or other-centric reference frames,duration of language organization and expression. Study 2 utilized a four-factor mixed design, introducing an additional within-subject independent variable, the reference frame of expression statement. Dependent variables comprised accuracy and time taken for understanding expression statements. All data were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model. Findings revealed that, in the first-person perspective, greater support for spatial reference frames led to a higher likelihood of expresser using them for spatial information, shorter language organization duration, and faster comprehension and higher comprehension correctness of corresponding spatial statements by receiver. Moreover, layout cues had a greater support effect than environmental cues. The higher the spatial perspective-taking ability, the more inclined the expresser is to choose to express spatial language using other-centric reference frame, and the more correct and time-consuming it is for the receiver to understand the spatial utterance. Field-independent expresser showed a more pronounced effect of spatial cue support in choosing reference frames compared to field-dependent expresser. In spatial communication from a third-person perspective, layout cues continued to have a support effect, while environmental cues did not. In both perspectives, receiver comprehended spatial language expressed using receiver-centric frame more quickly. The results indicate that: First, in the first-person spatial communication, there is a presence of spatial cue support effects, with the support effect of layout cues significantly outweighing that of environmental cues; regarding reference frame selection, the consistency of spatial cues has a greater impact on field-independent expresser; the higher the spatial perspective-tasking ability, the more the expresser tends to take on a higher cognitive load and the higher the efficiency of the receiver’s comprehension. Second, the third-person perspective not only diminishes the supportive effects of spatial cues and the influence of spatial perspective-taking ability on spatial communication, but it also complicates the process of representation to varying degrees for the two types of field cognitive style expressers. But the use of a receiver’s frame of reference for linguistic representation is the optimal method for improving comprehension efficiency regardless of perspective.