Cited by 145Spatial Cognition and NavigationCognitive Functions and MemoryMemory Processes and Influences

How Navigational Aids Impair Spatial Memory: Evidence for Divided Attention

Gardony, Aaron L., Brunyé, Tad T., Mahoney, Caroline R., Taylor, Holly A.·2013·Spatial Cognition & Computation

Abstract

Research has demonstrated navigational aids impair spatial memory, but has not considered important spatial cognitive concepts. For example, impairment may stem from spatial perspective switches between route-based aids and survey-based memory assessments. Further, the verbal format of aid instructions may selectively interfere with verbal working memory (VWM). To address these potential explanations, participants navigated desktop virtual environments in a goal-directed manner. In each within-participants condition, participants either navigated with a verbal or tonal aid that presented mixed spatial perspective instructions or without aid. Both aids yielded slight navigational advantages and steep spatial memory costs despite their mixed perspective instructions. The equivalent impairment between information formats suggests navigational aids impair spatial memory by dividing attention rather than selective interference of VWM.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1080/13875868.2013.792821

Cites

90 of 90 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Looking at irrelevant information is associated with poorer spatial knowledge development, whilst engagement with relevant information is better for spatial learning.

    “Put simply, looking at irrelevant information is associated with poorer spatial knowledge development, whilst engagement with relevant information is better for spatial learning (Chrastil & Warren, 2012; Gardony et al., 2013, 2015; Hejtmánek et al., 2018; Willis et al., 2009).”
  • This result aligns with previous studies showing that guiding attention to the environment and task-relevant landmarks strengthens the encoding of these features and supports spatial memory formations.

    “This result aligns with previous studies, showing that guiding attention to the environment and task-relevant landmarks strengthens the encoding of these features and supports spatial memory formations (Gardony et al., 2013, 2015; Hejtmánek et al., 2018; Willis et al., 2009).”

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Gardony, A. L., Brunyé, T. T., Mahoney, C. R., & Taylor, H. A.
Affiliations
Tufts University (US)
Venue
Spatial Cognition & Computation
Published
2013-09-27
Volume
13
Issue
4
Pages
319-350
ISSN
  • 1387-5868 (ISSN-L)
  • 1542-7633
OpenAlex
W2062462692
Cited by
145
References
90
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
FWCI
7.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Spatial Cognition and Computation (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
  • U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Spatial Cognition and Navigation
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Keywords
navigation aids, spatial memory, divided attention, verbal working memory, spatial perspective, virtual worlds, goal-directed navigation

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review