Open AccessDifferent neural activations for an approaching friend versus stranger: Linking personal space to numerical cognition
Author(s) -
Rubinsten Orly,
Korem Nachshon,
Perry Anat,
Goldberg Miri,
ShamayTsoory Simone
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.1613
Subject(s) - neurocognitive , interpersonal communication , psychology , perception , dyscalculia , spatial cognition , cognition , affect (linguistics) , cognitive psychology , personal space , space (punctuation) , social psychology , communication , computer science , neuroscience , reading (process) , political science , law , dyslexia , operating system
Typically, humans place themselves at a preferred distance from others. This distance is known to characterize human spatial behavior. Here, we focused on neurocognitive conditions that may affect interpersonal distances. The current study investigated whether neurocognitive deficiencies in numerical and spatial knowledge may affect social perception and modulate personal space. Method In an event‐related potential (ERP) study, university students with developmental dyscalculia (DD) and typically developing control participants were given a computerized version of the comfortable interpersonal distance task, in which participants were instructed to press the spacebar when they began to feel uncomfortable by the approach of a virtual protagonist. Results Results showed that students with deficiencies in numerical and spatial skills (i.e., DD) demonstrated reduced variability in their preferred distance from an approaching friend. Importantly, DD showed decreased amplitude of the N1 wave in the friend condition. Conclusion These results suggest that people coping with deficiencies in spatial cognition have a less efficient allocation of spatial attention in the service of processing personal distances. Accordingly, the study highlights the fundamental role of spatial neurocognition in organizing social space.