Abstract
Visuo-spatial perspective taking (VSPT) concerns the ability to understand something about the visual relationship between an Agent or observation point on the one hand, and a target or scene on the other. Despite its importance to a wide variety of other abilities, from communication to navigation, and decades of research, there is as yet no theory of VSPT. Indeed, the heterogeneity of results from different (and sometimes the same) VSPT tasks point to a complex picture suggestive of multiple VSPT strategies, individual differences in performance, and context-specific factors that together have a bearing on both the efficiency and accuracy of outcomes. In this paper, we review the evidence in search of patterns in the data. We find a number of predictors of VSPT performance but also a number of gaps in our understanding that suggest useful pathways for future research and, possibly, a theory (or theories) of VSPT. Overall, this review makes the case for understanding VSPT by better understanding the perspective taker rather than the target agent or their perception.
DOI
10.1177/17456916221094545
Publication Date
2022-08-22
Publication Title
Perspectives on Psychological Science
Publisher
SAGE Publications
ISSN
1745-6916
Embargo Period
2024-11-22
Keywords
Perspective Taking, Theory of Mind, Vision
Recommended Citation
Samuel, S., Cole, G., & Eacott, M. (2022) 'It’s not you, it’s me: A review of individual differences in visuo-spatial perspective taking.', Perspectives on Psychological Science, . SAGE Publications: Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221094545
