Pointing and labeling directions in egocentric frameworks

In three experiments, people learned descriptions of layouts and were then tested on the locations of objects in the layouts. Learning occurred either by using arrow-keys (a pointing-like procedure) or naming directions (front, back, right, left) to explore the layout, and testing involved either arrow-keys or verbal responses. In Experiment la, using arrow keys during learning and testing, right/left judgments were made faster than front/back judgments (reverse pattern). In Experiment 2a, direction labels were used during learning and testing, and front/back judgments were made faster than right/left, replicating the standard pattern obtained by Franklin & Tversky (1990). In Experiment 3 subjects learned the layout using direction labels and were tested with arrow-keys and the reverse pattern was found again. Response biases (Experiments Ib and Ic) and phonological biases (Experiment 2b) were ruled out as explanations for the patterns obtained. The pragmatics and requirements involved in each modality accounts for the accessibility patterns obtained with pointing and verbal labeling. (C) 1996 Academic Press,Inc.