Functional Influence: General Knowledge or Simulated Interaction? Our test case of an extrageometric influence is the bias to interpret a spatial term relative to a part of a reference

Spatial descriptions indicate the location of one object (a located object) by spatially relating it to another object (a reference object) whose location is presumed to be known or easily found (Beun & Cremers, 1998; Levelt, 1996; Talmy, 1983). A traditional view is that the interpretation of such descriptions is based on the geometry of the objects and their configuration (Herskovits, 1986; Landau & Jackendoff, 1993; Talmy, 1983). For example, in a geometric account, the command Put the mug below the teapot should result in placement of the cup under the center of the teapot. However, research across a variety of spatial terms has demonstrated that extrageometric information, such as knowledge about the objects and their interaction, also has an impact on how spatial terms are interpreted. For example, extrageometric knowledge might cause the listener to place the mug under the spout of the teapot rather than under its center. This has led to the suggestion of a weighted combination of geometric and extrageometric sources (see, e.g., Carlson-Radvansky, Covey, & Lattanzi, 1999; Coventry & Garrod, 2004). In the present study, we examine more closely the processes that give rise to extrageometric influence.