Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
08:06
Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
Published on: August 15, 2010
Cognitive adaptation: spatial memory or attentional processing. a comment on Furley and Memmert (2010)
R Allen1, E Fioratou, P McGeorge
1School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, William Guild Building, Aberdeen AB24 2UB, United Kingdom.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|April 7, 2011
Summary
Experienced athletes and non-athletes show similar spatial memory on the Corsi block task. This suggests expertise differences may be domain-specific, not general cognitive abilities.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Expertise Research
Background:
- The study by Furley and Memmert (2010) investigated expertise differences in spatial memory using the Corsi block task.
- They aimed to differentiate between the specific processing and cognitive adaptation hypotheses of expertise.
Discussion:
- The commentary questions the interpretation of Furley and Memmert's findings.
- It suggests potential confounds in the Corsi block task's application to expertise research.
- Recent research indicates distinct neuronal networks for static (Corsi block) and dynamic spatial tasks.
Key Insights:
- No significant difference in Corsi block task performance between experienced basketball players and non-athletes was observed.
- This finding was interpreted as supporting the specific processing hypothesis of expertise.
- An alternative interpretation highlights task specificity and potential confounds.
Outlook:
- Further research is needed to clarify the relationship between expertise and spatial memory.
- Investigating dynamic spatial tasks may offer different insights into expert cognition.
- Understanding domain-specific versus domain-general cognitive adaptations in experts remains a key challenge.
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