Revisiting the plasticity of human spatial cognition

Abstract

In a recent study by Haun et al. (2011), Dutch-speaking children who prefer an egocentric (left/right) reference frame when describing spatial relationships, and Haillom-speaking children who use a geocentric (north/south) frame were found to vary in their capacity to memorize small-scale arrays using their language-incongruent system. In two experiments, we reconcile these results with previous findings by Li et al. (2011) which showed that English (egocentric) and Tseltal Mayan (geocentric) speakers can flexibly use both systems. In Experiment 1, attempting to replicate Haun et al., we found that English- but not Tseltal-speaking children could use their language-incongruent system. In Experiment 2, we demonstrate that Tseltal children can use an egocentric system when instructed nonverbally without left/right language. We argue that Haun et al.'s results are due to the Haillom children's lack of understanding of left/right instructions and that task constraints determine which system is easier to use. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.