[DSRP Evidence](https://dsrpevidence.org/)

# When Far Becomes Near: Perspective Taking Induces Social Remapping of Spatial Relations

Cavallo et al., 2017, Psychological Science — Cognitive Science

Patterns: [Perspectives](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/perspectives)

## In short

Perspectives therefore can be anthropomorphic, physical, spatial and conceptual in nature.

## What they found (results)

When viewing from the human avatar’s Perspective, there was evidence to show that the participants spatially remapped the environment. They wrote that as a result of their experiment, they found that, “remapping does not require the presence of a human avatar but simply the possibility of a human perspective.” This article demonstrates that the presence of the identity/other construct can deeply change the way one interacts with their environment. As an example of this, they wrote, “When responding from their own viewpoint, right-handed participants responded faster when the object was closer to and to the right of them. In contrast, when responding from the viewpoint of a human avatar seated facing them, participants responded faster when the object was closer to and to the right of the avatar.”

## What they set out to do (purpose)

To study spatial perspectives.

## In more detail

Spatial perspectives were studied by Cavallo et. al. 2017. Specifically, they examined how taking a spatial Perspective involves a process of mental “remapping” of the spatial environment from a different point of view. Three experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, participants had to “judge whether the apple was to the left or right from their own perspective and from that of the human avatar seated at the opposite end of the table.” When viewing from the human avatar’s Perspective, there was evidence to show that the participants spatially remapped the environment. The second experiment tested whether the remapping happened due to the presence of a human triggered spatial remapping. They wrote that as a result of their experiment, they found that, “remapping does not require the presence of a human avatar but simply the possibility of a human perspective.” In the third experiment, the scene was changed so that a human couldn’t possibly fit at the end of the table. As a result, the spatial remapping effect

disappeared. This article demonstrates that the presence of the identity/other construct can deeply change the way one interacts with their environment. As an example of this, they wrote, “When responding from their own viewpoint, right-handed participants responded faster when the object was closer to and to the right of them. In contrast, when responding from the viewpoint of a human avatar seated facing them, participants responded faster when the object was closer to and to the right of the avatar.” Perspectives therefore can be anthropomorphic, physical, spatial and conceptual in nature.

## Abstract

On many occasions, people spontaneously or deliberately take the perspective of a person facing them rather than their own perspective. How is this done? Using a spatial perspective task in which participants were asked to identify objects at specific locations, we found that self-perspective judgments were faster for objects presented to the right, rather than the left, and for objects presented closer to the participants’ own bodies. Strikingly, taking the opposing perspective of another person led to a reversal (i.e., remapping) of these effects, with reference to the other person’s position (Experiment 1). A remapping of spatial relations was also observed when an empty chair replaced the other person (Experiment 2), but not when access to the other viewpoint was blocked (Experiment 3). Thus, when the spatial scene allows a physically feasible but opposing point of view, people respond as if their own bodies were in that place. Imagination can thus overcome perception.

These researchers were not testing DSRP. The finding is theirs; the correspondence to DSRP is drawn by this site.

[Source](https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616672464)