The role of working memory components and visuospatial abilities in route learning within a virtual environment

Abstract

An experiment was run to complete our understanding of the involvement of working memory (WM) components in the construction of a spatial model from visual input, considering some of the visuospatial abilities known to modulate performance. In addition, to allow for consideration of the flexibility of the spatial representation, routes in a virtual environment were presented with a route perspective, and tests were presented with route and survey perspectives. The results indicate that the verbal and spatial WM are only involved in the memorisation of certain types of information, and that their involvement depends on the change of perspective necessitated by the task. Thus, even when the learning material and the tests used to assess performance are only visual, a verbal recoding of some information is necessary. Moreover, individual differences modulate the involvement of WM; an individual with higher visuospatial capacities uses more spatial WM than an individual with lower spatial capacities.

Keywords:

• Working memory
• Spatial representations
• Visuo-spatial abilities
• Flexibility
• Virtual environment
• Perspective

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the grant ANR 09 BLAN 0344 01 SPALIFE.