Efficient Navigation, Deficient Representation: Exploring How Navigational Aids Impair Spatial Memory

Two experiments examined possible processes by which navigational aids impair spatial memory. Experiment 1 investigated how spatial perspective and information format contribute to spatial memory impairment. Participants navigated with mixed perspective aids (verbal and tonal) or without aid. Both aids yielded slight navigational advantages and steep spatial memory costs. The equivalent impairment between information formats suggests navigational aids impair spatial memory by dividing attention rather than selective interference of verbal working memory. Experiment 2 investigated the extent to which divided attention underlies spatial memory impairment. Presence of navigational aid in a divided attention context did not increase spatial memory impairment suggesting that navigational aids impair spatial memory primarily by dividing attention. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that navigational aids impair spatial memory and suggest divided attention underlies this effect. We advocate future research aimed at minimizing memory costs through design modifications in order to create cognitively ergonomic navigational aids.