Spatial Reasoning

Spatial reasoning is the mental transformation of spatial knowledge. Such transformation is an integral component of everyday cognition, occurring within a variety of domains such as attention, memory and language, and across a variety of tasks, spatial and non-spatial alike. The structure of this chapter is as follows. In Section 1 we discuss the core components of spatial reasoning, including spatial representations, spatial processes and spatial memory. In Section 2 we discuss basic spatial tasks, including navigation, giving directions, imaginal perspective taking, spatial inference, and visualization. In Section 3 we discuss the broader influence of space beyond such basic spatial tasks, as reflected in spatial compatibility effects, the use of space to understand abstract concepts, and reasoning by spatial analogy. In Section 4, we discuss neural systems that underlie our spatial abilities, individual differences, and learning. Finally, in Section 5, we discuss open questions for future research. Section 1. Core Components of Spatial Reasoning