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# Spatial perspective-taking in conversation

## Details

**Authors** Schober

**Year** 1993

**Publisher** Cognition

**Discipline** Cognitive Science

[Read it at the publisher](https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(93)90060-9) 
10.1016/0010-0277(93)90060-9

## In authors' words

### What they set out to do (purpose)

To research how people took Perspective when describing the location of an object (or multiple objects), either to themselves or to others.

### What they found (results)

Those who had to speak to an imaginary partner took Perspective with relative ease, while those who were given a real partner found that they had to choose between an egocentric or other-centered Perspective. However, Schober found that when the partners switched roles, the ones who had an egocentric partner would take an egocentric perspective, and the ones who had an other-centered perspective to their partner’s Perspective. Also, there was an indication that perspective taking can be collaborative, with partners checking in with each other about their other-centered directions.

## Commentary

### In short

Interestingly, this shows the many ways in which perspective shapes how we communicate with others, and also the need to be able to identify when communication is facilitated or hindered by doing so.

### In more detail

Additional research examined how perspective taking influences communication between people. Schober (1993) researched how people took Perspective when describing the location of an object (or multiple objects), either to themselves or to others. He observed participants attempting to describe the location of objects either alone, or with a partner. The type, point, and view were the variables used to describe the location of objects in this study. Those who had to speak to an imaginary partner took Perspective with relative ease, while those who were given a real partner found that they had to choose between an egocentric or other-centered Perspective. However, Schober found that when the partners switched roles, the ones who had an egocentric partner would take an egocentric perspective, and the ones who had an other-centered perspective to their partner’s Perspective. Also, there was an indication that perspective taking can be collaborative, with partners checking in with each other about their other-centered directions. Interestingly, this shows the many ways in which perspective shapes how we communicate with others, and also the need to be able to identify when communication is facilitated or hindered by doing so.

**Patterns it shows** P

**How to cite this** Schober (1993). Spatial perspective-taking in conversation. Cognition.