Ma Yan, Peng Qiuyue, Long Bowen
Wisdom Education Research Institute, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.
College of Computer and Information Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.
Front Psychol. 2025 Aug 6;16:1559696. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1559696. eCollection 2025.
From a cognitive perspective, the spatial proximity effect suggests that during the process of the brain processing information, the degree of information processing and construction varies with spatial distance. However, most previous studies mainly relied on behavioral experiments.
To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the spatial proximity effect, this study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopic imaging (fNIRS) to monitor and analyze the neural activity in the prefrontal cortex of 36 college students while they engaged in learning tasks with different graphic formats (proximity vs. separation). In addition, the study also explored how disciplinary differences affect the strength of spatial proximity effects and corresponding brain activation patterns.
The findings revealed that activation levels in the middle temporal gyrus, frontal pole, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were significantly higher in the spatial proximity condition compared to the spatial separation condition, accompanied by an improved rate of correct answers. These results suggest that the spatial proximity of illustrations and text can significantly enhance learning outcomes. Furthermore, when the subjects were learning physics, the activation level of the superior temporal gyrus was significantly higher than that when they were learning English and geography. Moreover, under the adjacent condition, the accuracy rate of learning performance was higher, which reveals that the spatial proximity effect is significant under the conditions of learning English, Geography, and Physics and that the superior temporal gyrus may be related to the neural mechanism of the spatial proximity effect in different disciplines.
This study provides evidence for the neural mechanisms behind the spatial proximity effect and verifies the influence of different disciplines on this effect. Provided a practical basis for media teaching design from the perspective of cognitive processing.
从认知角度来看，空间邻近效应表明在大脑处理信息的过程中，信息处理与构建的程度会随空间距离而变化。然而，以往大多数研究主要依赖行为实验。
为了探究空间邻近效应背后的神经机制，本研究采用功能近红外光谱成像（fNIRS）技术，对36名大学生在进行不同图形格式（邻近与分离）的学习任务时前额叶皮层的神经活动进行监测与分析。此外，该研究还探讨了学科差异如何影响空间邻近效应的强度以及相应的大脑激活模式。
研究结果显示，与空间分离条件相比，在空间邻近条件下，颞中回、额极和背外侧前额叶皮层的激活水平显著更高，同时正确答案率有所提高。这些结果表明插图与文本的空间邻近能够显著提高学习效果。此外，当受试者学习物理时，颞上回的激活水平显著高于学习英语和地理时。而且，在相邻条件下，学习表现的准确率更高，这表明在学习英语、地理和物理的情况下空间邻近效应显著，并且颞上回可能与不同学科中空间邻近效应的神经机制有关。
本研究为空间邻近效应背后的神经机制提供了证据，并验证了不同学科对该效应的影响。从认知加工角度为媒体教学设计提供了实践依据。
