How body asymmetries determine accessibility in spatial frameworks

Spatial frameworks are a class of spatial mental model that code locations of objects relative to the body axes. Spatial frameworks predict accessibil ity of spatial relations from memory primarily on the basis of the relative asymmetry of the body axes, such that highly asymmetric axes lead to faste r retrieval of information. The present research examined how bodily asymme tries affect retrieval. Experiment 1 contrasted two theoretical accounts. T he Salience Account proposes that relative degrees of asymmetry render axes differentially salient, and hence differentially foregrounded in one's men tal model. The Direction Decision Account proposes that an explicit decisio n process is necessary to access specific locations along body axes. The ea se of the decision process presumably depends on the degree of asymmetry th at exists to discriminate poles along a body axis. The spatial framework pa ttern of accessibility was observed both when subjects identified specific directions of objects and when subjects identified just the axis to which o bjects were associated, supporting the Salience Account. Experiment 2 inves tigated whether lateralization affects accessibility from spatial framework s. Performance of highly lateralized individuals did not differ from that o f weakly lateralized individuals.