Shifting visuo-spatial attention in a virtual three-dimensional space

The present investigation, with a virtual reality set-up, aimed to study at tentional orienting within a three-dimensional visual world. Near and far s timuli were used. Half of the subjects were provided with a virtual represe ntation of their body, whereas half were not. Results showed a different di stribution of attentional resources in the two conditions, suggesting a dis sociation between attentional systems controlling the proximal and the dist al visual space. Tn particular, attention was focused close to the subject' s body when a virtual representation of it was present, whereas attention w as focused away from the body when a virtual representation of the body was not present. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.