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We explored the nature of 37 spatial dimensions in Italian, such as lungo–corto (long–short), inizio–fine (beginning–end), and convergente–divergente (convergent–divergent). In Study 1 we investigated their metric structure. We asked: (1) Are the extensions of the two poles (P ₁ and P ₂) the same? (2) What proportion of each dimension can be said to be neither P ₁ nor P ₂? and (3) Is the extension of P ₁ that can be called neither P ₁ nor P ₂, the same as the extension of P ₂ that can be called neither P ₁ nor P ₂? In Study 2 we investigated the topological structure of the dimensions. We asked: (1) Are the poles, points or ranges? (2) Do intermediates (neither P ₁ nor P ₂) exist? and (3) If they do, are they points or ranges?

Two metric properties explained a considerable proportion of the variation in the responses in the first task: (1) the asymmetry of the extension of the two poles and (2) the extension of the “neither …