A GEOMETRIC PROCESS FOR SPATIAL REORIENTATION IN YOUNG-CHILDREN

DISORIENTED(1-3) rats and non-human primates reorient themselves using geometrical features of the environment(2,4-6). In rats tested in environments with distinctive geometry, this ability is impervious to non-geometric information (such as colours and odours) marking important locations and used in other spatial tasks'. Here we show that adults use both geometric and non-geometric information to reorient themselves, whereas young children, like mature rats, use only geometric information. These findings provide evidence that: (1) humans reorient in accord with the shape of the environment; (2) the young child's reorientation system is impervious to all but geometric information(8), even when non-geometric information is available and is re-presented by the child-such information should improve performance and is used in similar tasks by the oriented child; and (3) the limits of this process are overcome during human development.