ABSTRACT
In the first part of the book, we argued that three types of information are central to an understanding of spatial language: geometric information, extra-geometric information available from the scene, and stored conceptual information. The functional geometric framework, therefore, requires geometric routines, extra-geometric routines that capture dynamic-kinematic relations between objects, and stored representations that reflect stereotypical functional relations between objects. In the second part of the book, we have seen that there is considerable evidence that these factors are important predictors of the comprehension and production of a range of spatial prepositions, including topological, proximity, and projective terms. We have also reviewed a range of contextual effects that indicate that spatial terms mean different things in different contexts. In the final part of the book, we develop the functional geometric framework; in this chapter, we will begin to explore how these multiple constraints come together to shape comprehension and production. A useful place to start is to consider the claim that situation models are required as a means of coordinating the different information sources that contribute to spatial language use.
