FoRKK - Using Egocentric and Allocentric Spaces to Represent Non-Spatial Knowledge

2025-2029

How the brain represents and structures knowledge is still a matter of constant research. One of the most recent and exciting idea is that knowledge is partially organized according to low-dimensional geometries that rely on brain structures and computations normally involved in spatial representations. Building on this idea, FoRRK will investigate whether egocentric (self-centered) and allocentric (world-centered) reference frames used in physical space are used to represent abstract spaces combining non-spatial dimensions. To this aim, this project will use an innovative virtual reality paradigm allowing participants to navigate non-spatial dimensions from a first-person perspective. By combining behavioral tasks with fMRI, thist project will test whether the same behavioral effects and the same brain structures involved in physical space are also involved in abstract spaces. Additionally, FoRRK will develop a new tool relying on immersive VR environments to measure individual differences in preference for reference frame. This will allow to assess whether preference for reference frame in space also impact the processing of abstract space. This interdisciplinary project will contribute to understanding the neural and cognitive mechanisms behind knowledge representation.