Spatial attention shapes mental representations for planning in maze navigation

A new study published on arXiv (2506.09520) investigates how attention simplifies mental representations for planning. Using virtual maze navigation, researchers found that spatial proximity determines which aspects of a maze are available for planning. When task-relevant information aligns with natural lateralized contours of attention, people can more efficiently construct simplified mental representations. The study suggests a nested optimization where planning shapes perception and perception shapes planning, but the perceptual and attentional mechanisms governing this interaction were previously unknown. The findings demonstrate that attention controls which parts of a task representation enter subjective awareness and are used for planning, balancing complexity with utility.