Crossing the Pillars of Hercules: The Role of Spatial Frames of Reference in Error Making

Abstract

This paper introduces a perspective accounting for errors that may occur as a result of the human interaction with the three-dimensional (3D) space. Particularly, we are interested in errors that are caused by cognitively crossing the boundary between peripersonal and extrapersonal space. Several behavioural, neurophysiological, and neuropsychological perspectives are reviewed in order to develop the theoretical framework on which our ideas are founded. We argue that cognitively crossing the boundary implies switching from one frame of reference to another, which, as a consequence, implies specific costs. The results of five experiments (overall involving 76 participants) support our hypothesis, suggesting the existence of different action-oriented spatial frames of reference.