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The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition
Published on: February 19, 2018
Visual and auditory object recognition in relation to spatial ability
Conor J R Smithson1, Jason K Chow1, Andrew J Tomarken1
1Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|May 18, 2026
Summary
Object recognition (o) abilities are strongly linked across visual and auditory senses, indicating a multimodal nature. Spatial ability
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Perception
Background:
- Object recognition at the subordinate level (o) is typically assessed visually.
- Prior research suggests object recognition may be a multimodal ability, linking visual and auditory domains.
- The relationship between object recognition and spatial abilities requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between visual and auditory object recognition abilities.
- To examine the influence of spatial ability on visual and auditory object recognition.
- To determine if object recognition is a domain-general, multimodal capacity.
Main Methods:
- Employed structural equation modeling to analyze relationships between abilities.
- Measured visual and auditory object recognition (o) and spatial abilities.
- Controlled for the shared influence of general cognitive ability.
Main Results:
- A strong correlation (r = .79) was found between visual and auditory object recognition.
- Spatial ability showed strong correlations with both visual (r = .73) and auditory (r = .63) object recognition.
- After controlling for general ability, the visual-auditory object recognition link remained significant (r = .61), but spatial ability links became nonsignificant.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences in object recognition are predominantly multimodal.
- The association between object recognition and spatial ability is not independent of general cognitive ability.
- Object recognition is a robust, cross-sensory cognitive function.
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