Orientation--Testing

The effects of retinal and objective orientation on recognition of novel
stimuli were examined in a two-phase experiment. In Phase 1 novel stimuli
were presented to tilted subjects placed in either an intentional
learning condition (they were instructed to remember the stimuli) or an
incidental learning condition (they received no instruction regarding
memory). In Phase 2 the same stimuli were randomly mixed with distractor
stimuli in a recognition test. Stimuli were presented to upright
subjects in either their objectively upright orientation (the same
orientation relative to gravity as in Phase 1) or their retinally upright
orientation (the same orientation relative to subjects' tilted
retinas as in Phase 1). The instructions produced no effect on recognition.
Evidence that both retinal and objective orientation influenced
recognition was obtained in both conditions. Alternative interpretations
hypothesized that: (1) dual memory representations of Phase 1
stimuli, referenced to both retinal and objective upright, were formed
and (2) a single memory representation of Phase 1 stimuli, referenced to
an axis intermediate to retinal and objective upright, was formed.