The role of visuo-spatial abilities in recall of spatial descriptions: A mediation model

In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o This research investigates how visuo-spatial abilities (such as mental rotation — MR — and visuo-spatial working memory — VSWM —) work together to influence the recall of environmental descriptions. We tested a mediation model in which VSWM was assumed to mediate the relationship between MR and spatial text recall. First, 120 participants were assessed for MR and working memory (both visuo-spatial and verbal) abilities. Participants then listened to spatial descriptions and performed spatial recall tasks. The expected model was verified, indicating that it is possible to define an order for how visuo-spatial abilities modulate environmental learning, with MR as a predictor and VSWM as a mediator. One way of acquiring environmental knowledge is through verbal input, such as a spatial description. From this, the listener/reader forms a mental representation, a so-called spatial mental model (Johnson-Laird, 1983); this representation maintains the spatial properties of the text processed, such as relationships between objects (e.g., Taylor & Tversky, 1992). The construction of efficient spatial mental representations depends on several cognitive factors. In this study, we examine the role of visuo-spatial abilities – particularly mental rotation (MR) and visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) – in building mental representations derived from spatial (environmental) descriptions. Visuo-spatial abilities allow us to generate, retain, and transform abstract visual images (Lohman, 1979) and are generally distinguished into three sub-factors: spatial perception, spatial visualiza-tion, and mental rotation (for an example, see the meta-analysis of Linn & Petersen, 1985). The latter two sub-factors, consisting of the ability to perform multi-step manipulations of complex spatial information (spatial visualization) and to manipulate figures rotating 2D or 3D stimuli (mental rotation), are relevant for environmental learning. For example, Hegarty, Montello, Richardson, Ishikawa, and Lovelace (2006) used a structural equation model to show that visuo-spatial abilities (tested with spatial visualization, mental rotation , and spatial working memory tasks) and sense of direction can predict environmental learning (see also Allen, Kirasic, Dobson, Long, & Beck, 1996). In the current study, the analysis focuses on mental rotation ability, which is shown to be relevant in predicting environmental learning either …