allocentric

Allocentric refers to representations or processing that are centered on external cues or objects in the environment, rather than on the observer. In cognitive science, allocentric spatial representations are world-centered, while egocentric representations are body-centered or viewer-centered.

In spatial navigation, an allocentric frame encodes locations and relationships using landmarks and a map-like layout. This allows an agent to determine position and plan routes independent of its current orientation or perspective.

Neuroscientific research has linked allocentric navigation to the hippocampus and adjacent entorhinal cortex. Place cells encode specific locations, grid cells provide a metric grid for space, and head-direction cells signal orientation relative to the environment.

In humans and animals, strategies may be allocentric or egocentric, and individuals often switch between them. Deficits in allocentric navigation are observed in aging and in early stages of Alzheimer's disease, reflecting hippocampal dysfunction.

The term derives from allo- meaning other, and centric, contrasted with egocentric, which emphasizes the self as reference point.