The visual presentation of the trajectory does not cause any effects on three-dimensional versions of the Corsi task paradigm tests

The Corsi Block Tapping Test (CBT) assesses short-term visuospatial memory, while the Walking Corsi Test (WalCT) introduces greater motor and spatial demands. The impact of visual trajectory presentation on these tests remains debated.

To examine the effect of visual presentation of the trajectory on visuospatial short-term memory and topographic memory during the CBT and WalCT.

A total of 37 students completed the Corsi task paradigm under two conditions: CBT and WalCT. Both were performed in classical versions (with visual trajectory presentation) and automated versions (without visual trajectory presentation). Each test was conducted in forward and backward modalities. Span and Total Product values were recorded. Sex, age and physical activity level were considered in the analysis.

For Span, only the type of test influenced performance, with higher results observed in the CBT (7.29 ± 1.13) compared to the WalCT (6.18 ± 1.55) (p < 0.001). Regarding Total Product, significant effects were found for both the type of test (CBT = 84.83 ± 26.21; WalCT = 58.76 ± 28.99; p = 0.026) and the modality (Forward = 74.85 ± 31.56; Backward = 68.74 ± 29.23; p = 0.026). Age significantly interacted as a covariate in both analyses (p < 0.001).

The visual presentation of the trajectory did not improve performance. However, the type and modality of the test directly influenced final performance. Additionally, age emerged as a factor affecting performance in the Corsi paradigms, while physical activity level and sex showed no significant effects.