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How Are the Locations of Objects in the Environment Represented in Memory?

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Spatial Cognition III (Spatial Cognition 2002)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 2685))

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Abstract

This chapter summarizes a new theory of spatial memory. According to the theory, when people learn the locations of objects in a new environment, they interpret the spatial structure of that environment in terms of a spatial reference system. Our current conjecture is that a reference system intrinsic to the collection of objects is used. Intrinsic axes or directions are selected using egocentric (e.g., viewing perspective) and environmental (e.g., walls of the surrounding room) cues. The dominant cue is egocentric experience. The reference system selected at the first view is typically not updated with additional views or observer movement. However, if the first view is misaligned but a subsequent view is aligned with natural and salient axes in the environment, a new reference system is selected and the layout is reinterpreted in terms of this new reference system. The chapter also reviews evidence on the orientation dependence of spatial memories and recent results indicating that two representations may be formed when people learn a new environment; one preserves interobject spatial relations and the other comprises visual memories of experienced views.

Preperation of this chapter and the research reported in it were supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health Grant R01-MH57868. The chapter was improved as a result of the comments of two anonymous reviewers. I am enormously indebted to Vaibhav Diwadkar, Weimin Mou, Björn Rump, Amy Shelton, Christine Valiquette, and Steffen Werner for their contributions to the empirical and theoretical developments summarized in this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 111 21st Ave South, Nashville, TN, 37203

    Timothy P. McNamara

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  1. Timothy P. McNamara
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. FB 3 - Mathematik und Informatik, Universität Bremen, Bibliothekstr. 1, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Christian Freksa

  2. Fakultät für Informatik, Technishe Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 3, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany

    Wilfried Brauer

  3. Fachbereich Informatik, Universität Hamburg, Vogt-Kölln-Str. 30, 22527, Hamburg, Germany

    Christopher Habel

  4. FB 1 - Psychologie, Universität Trier, 54286, Trier, Germany

    Karl F. Wender

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© 2003 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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McNamara, T.P. (2003). How Are the Locations of Objects in the Environment Represented in Memory?. In: Freksa, C., Brauer, W., Habel, C., Wender, K.F. (eds) Spatial Cognition III. Spatial Cognition 2002. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2685. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45004-1_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45004-1_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-40430-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-45004-7

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