Exocentric coding of the mapping between valence and regions of space: Implications for embodied cognition

Converging evidence has established that positive concepts presented on a computer screen are associated with upper regions of space, and negative concepts with a lower region of space. One explanation for this is that understanding positive or negative concepts requires the re-experiencing of direction, whereby “happy is up” and “sad is down.” However, it is unclear how the regions of space are encoded in these paradigms, space can be encoded in relation to oneself (egocentrically) or in object centred coordinates that are independent of oneself (exocentrically). The current study compares exocentric and egocentric coding of space, using a variation of the Meier and Robinson (2004) paradigm. Participants were asked to evaluate valenced concepts in either the upper or lower half of the screen. Spatial primes were used such that the concepts were preceded by either an upwards or a downwards eye movement. Exocentric coding of space in this paradigm was the computer screen, whilst egocentric coding was the eye movement used to access the top or bottom of the screen. It was proposed that egocentric coding of space, being coded in the body, provides evidence of a stronger relationship between the original bodily state of ‘up’ or ‘down’ and subsequent simulation. However, significant results supported an exocentric coding of space, with faster responses to positive concepts in the upper half of the screen, and to negative concepts in the lower half, irrespective of the direction of the eye movement preceding it. The implications of this for embodied cognition are discussed.