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Updated: May 25, 2026
05:15
The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition
Published on: February 19, 2018
The effect of path length and display size on memory for spatial information
Katherine Guérard1, Sébastien Tremblay
1École de Psychologie, Université de Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. katherine.guerard@umoncton.ca
Experimental Psychology
|January 17, 2012
Summary
Spatial memory recall is impaired when item distance changes relative to the display size, not just when the display size increases. This suggests display context is key for spatial memory performance.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Serial memory for spatial information is susceptible to the path length effect, where recall suffers as distances between locations increase.
- Previous research shows conflicting results depending on whether distance increases relative to display size or by enlarging the display itself.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how varying absolute and relative distances between items impacts memory for spatial information.
- To determine the influence of display size on spatial memory recall performance.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted manipulating path length using small (15″) and large (64″) screens.
- The study examined the effect of a retention interval on spatial memory recall.
Main Results:
- Recall performance was significantly disrupted when distance varied relative to a fixed reference frame.
- Increasing display size also had a minor negative impact on recall.
- The presence of a retention interval did not alter these distance-related effects.
Conclusions:
- Distance is disruptive to serial spatial memory primarily when it changes relative to the display's reference frame.
- Rehearsal appears to play a minimal role in mediating distance effects in spatial memory.
- Perceptual organization may be a crucial factor influencing spatial memory performance.
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