The Visuospatial Dimension of Writing

Written Communication Jul 2012

Thierry Olive Université de Poitiers ; Jean-Michel Passerault Université de Poitiers

Abstract

The authors suggest that writing should be conceived of not only as a verbal activity but also as a visuospatial activity, in which writers process and construct visuospatial mental representations. After briefly describing research on visuospatial cognition, they look at how cognitive researchers have investigated the visuospatial dimension of the mental representations and processes engaged in writing. First, they show how Hayes’s research integrated the visuospatial dimension of writing. Second, they describe how the written trace can serve as a visual resource. Third, they focus on the visuospatial processes involved in constructing an overall representation of the text and its physical layout. Finally, they review findings on the visuospatial demands that planning places on working memory. All the data and theories presented in this article support the idea that writing is indeed a visuospatial activity.

Journal: Written Communication
Published: 2012-07-01
DOI: 10.1177/0741088312451111
Open Access: Closed
Topics: race and writing multilingual writers

Citation Context

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