Route learning in virtual environments: Egocentric and allocentric representations of space

Typically-developing children and adults predominantly use a ‘sequential egocentric’ strategy for navigating through unfamiliar environments. This refers to a representation of an environment based on an individual’s own body-centred spatial frame of reference (understanding the location of landmarks and paths in relation to the self). Between the ages of 5 and 10 years, TD children are more able to use an ‘allocentric’ strategy, which requires an understanding of the spatial relationships between objects in the environment and therefore the use of an environment-based spatial frame of reference (understanding the location of items in relation to each other, independent of the self) (Bullens et al., 2010). 

On small-scale spatial tasks, research has shown that typically developing children under 5-6 years of age and individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) have difficulties in taking into account the global structure of an array of objects and so do not seem to employ an allocentric strategy (Nardini et al., 2006; 2008). Difficulties are also experienced by young TD children and by individuals with WS in other small-scale spatial tasks such as mental rotation and large-scale spatial tasks that require spatial relational knowledge. During my PhD I  invesitgated whether these difficulties are related to difficulties in using an allocentric strategy in TD children and in individuals with WS.