Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
05:15
The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition
Published on: February 19, 2018
A category adjustment approach to memory for spatial location in natural scenes
Mark P Holden1, Kim M Curby, Nora S Newcombe
1Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. mholden@temple.edu
Summary
Spatial memory errors in complex scenes are biased toward central values. Both visual cues and semantic information help segment spaces, influencing location memory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Spatial Cognition
Background:
- Spatial memory often exhibits systematic errors, biasing recall towards a region's central value.
- Bayesian models explain this bias by integrating fine-grained and categorical spatial information.
- Previous research primarily used simple geometric shapes, limiting generalizability to natural environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spatial memory biases in complex natural scenes.
- To determine how perceptual and conceptual information segment complex environments for memory.
- To explore the neurological underpinnings of spatial location memory.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Assessed memory for spatial locations within complex natural scenes.
- Experiment 2: Manipulated visual cues (color negatives) and semantic information (inverted images) to test segmentation.
- Analyzed error patterns in spatial recall.
Main Results:
- Confirmed a bias toward prototypical values in memory for locations in natural scenes.
- Demonstrated that both perceptual (visual cues) and conceptual (semantic information) contribute to spatial segmentation.
- Error patterns varied based on the availability of different types of information.
Conclusions:
- Spatial memory in complex environments is influenced by biases similar to those in simpler settings.
- The segmentation of space for memory relies on a combination of visual and semantic processing.
- Findings suggest potential neurological mechanisms for integrating diverse information in spatial memory.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
01:23Storage
A schema is a mental framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information. Schemata, formed from previous experiences, influence how we process new information: how we encode it, the inferences we make, and how we retrieve it. For instance, a schema for what a typical classroom looks like might include desks, a teacher's desk, a whiteboard, and students in such an environment. This expectation helps us quickly understand and navigate new classrooms without needing to analyze each...
01:25The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic
In order to make good decisions, we use our knowledge and our reasoning. Often, this knowledge and reasoning is sound and solid. However, sometimes, we are swayed by biases or by others manipulating a situation. For example, let’s say you and three friends wanted to rent a house and had a combined target budget of $1,600. The realtor shows you only very run-down houses for $1,600 and then shows you a very nice house for $2,000. Might you ask each person to pay more in rent to get the $2,000...
01:23System of Memory
Memory is categorized into three major systems: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). These systems differ in their capacity and the duration for which they can hold information. Sensory memory captures raw sensory input from the environment, holding it for just a few seconds or less. For example, on hearing a brief, loud sound, like a car horn honking, the sound seems to linger in the mind for a moment even after it stops. This is an instance of sensory memory...
01:21Gestalt Principles of Perception
Gestalt principles provide a framework for understanding how humans perceive objects as unified wholes within their context. These principles are essential in explaining the cognitive processes that make sense of complex visual stimuli by organizing them into coherent groups. One fundamental principle is proximity, which posits that objects located close to each other are perceived as a collective group. For instance, when dots are positioned near one another, the visual system interprets them...
01:42Schemas
A schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.