Losing Your Car in the Parking Lot: Spatial Memory in the Real World

Abstract

The present study investigated qualitative aspects of spatial memory for the parking place of one's car during an incidental visit to a shopping mall. A total of 115 participants (59 men, age range: 19-85 years) performed a number of short tests, designed to measure several aspects of applied spatial memory, prior to leaving a shopping mall in order to return to their car. Gender differences were observed on two aspects of spatial memory. First, women reported more landmarks in their route descriptions than men, whereas men used metric terms more often than women. Second, men outperformed women with respect to estimating the distance to their car. A main effect of age was observed for map location reconstruction: Older participants had more difficulty in relocating their car on a map. Overall, participants were fairly good in finding back their car. Only 14% made a substantial detour, most of them women. This searching behaviour appeared to depend on sense of direction as well as on map relocation ability. Participants employed a variety of strategies, but the number of strategies used was not related to the measured aspects of spatial memory. The current results give further insight into spatial memory usage in the real world.

Pointing the way forward: Gesture and adults’ recall of route direction information.

“…Consistent with this, existing research suggests that older adults are poorer at navigation than younger adults, with age-related differences in global configuration (i.e., locating landmarks) and in judgments of indirect spatial sentences (Gyselinck et al, 2013; Postma et al, 2012; Wochinger & Boehm-Davis, 1995). It is important, therefore, to examine whether gestures accompanying spatial information enable older adult listeners to overcome cognitive deficits (i.e., language, memory, and processing speed; Postma et al, 2012; Wochinger & Boehm-Davis, 1995). Future research could examine the effect of gesture accompanying route directions for older adults at different ages.…”

“…Gesture can have different effects at different times throughout the life span and may be particularly important when cognitive abilities such as language, memory, and information processing, decline during older adulthood (Austin & Sweller, 2014; Postma, van Oers, Back, & Plukaard, 2012; Wochinger & Boehm-Davis, 1995). Consistent with this, existing research suggests that older adults are poorer at navigation than younger adults, with age-related differences in global configuration (i.e., locating landmarks) and in judgments of indirect spatial sentences (Gyselinck et al, 2013; Postma et al, 2012; Wochinger & Boehm-Davis, 1995). It is important, therefore, to examine whether gestures accompanying spatial information enable older adult listeners to overcome cognitive deficits (i.e., language, memory, and processing speed; Postma et al, 2012; Wochinger & Boehm-Davis, 1995).…”

Route learning in Korsakoff's syndrome: Residual acquisition of spatial memory despite profound amnesia

“…Although several studies have been performed on learning of computerized spatial tasks in KS patients, surprisingly little research has been performed on actual spatial navigation (see Kessels & Kopelman, for a review). Spatial navigation concerns remembering where things are, and applying this information to get from one location to another, for example, while walking or driving from one place to another (Postma, van Oers, Back, & Plukaard, ). Automatic processing of spatial information would be advantageous in such complex daily activities.…”

Outsourcing Memory in Response to an Aging Population

“…Consider large, unfamiliar parking lots. An increase in spatial memory errors in old age implies that older drivers may have more trouble finding their parked cars (Postma, Van Oers, Back, & Plukaard, 2012). To locate their cars in the absence of external memory cues, drivers must create and remember a cognitive map of the parking lot.…”