Marios Avraamides

Strategic choices in spatial cognition 

 

Abstract

Much of the research in spatial cognition focuses on examining how various factors influence spatial performance in an attempt to understand how spatial information is encoded and maintained in spatial memory. For example, scientists in this field routinely manipulate variables such as the number of objects in a layout, the arrangement of the objects, the presence of extrinsic cues, the viewpoint  from which a layout is learned, the modality in which the layout is experienced, the location of testing, the response mode and so on. Based on the pattern of findings, inferences about the organizational structure of spatial memories (i.e., what reference frames are involved in maintaining information in spatial memory) and its properties (e.g., if and how memories can be updated during observer movement) are typically drawn.
In this presentation I will discuss the hypothesis that by manipulating these variables, scientists are merely biasing the strategies that participants use to encode spatial information and to use it when executing tasks. Findings from previous studies, as well as studies conducted in my lab, that are compatible with this hypothesis will be presented and discussed.