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Updated: May 30, 2026
05:15
The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition
Published on: February 19, 2018
Object-centered reference systems and human spatial memory
Xiaoli Chen1, Timothy McNamara
1Vanderbilt University, PMB 407817, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37240, USA.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|July 26, 2011
Summary
Spatial memory relies on object-centered reference systems, influencing how we recall object locations. This effect was observed with human avatars but not animal models in virtual environments.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Spatial Cognition
- Human Memory
Background:
- Understanding spatial memory is crucial for cognitive science.
- Investigating reference frames in spatial memory provides insight into cognitive architecture.
- Previous research suggests both egocentric and allocentric reference frames influence spatial memory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the influence of object-centered reference systems on spatial memory.
- To determine if object orientation affects memory for object locations.
- To explore the hierarchical nature of spatial reference systems in memory.
Main Methods:
- Participants memorized locations and orientations of virtual objects (avatars, animal models).
- Judgments of relative directions were performed from imagined vantage points.
- Performance was assessed based on the congruence between imagined heading and object facing direction.
Main Results:
- Object-centered reference system facilitated spatial memory for human avatars.
- No significant facilitation was observed with animal models.
- Performance was superior from the original learning viewpoint compared to novel viewpoints.
Conclusions:
- Spatial memories are influenced by object-centered reference systems.
- Spatial memory may involve a hierarchy of reference systems at different scales.
- The nature of the object stimulus impacts the utilization of object-centered reference frames.
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