ABSTRACT
Spatial memory is a complex phenomenon that holds a unique position in human cognition at the crossroads of low-level perceptual processing (e.g., perception of depth cues and three-dimensional structure) and high-level constructive processes (e.g., integration over successive views). One can observe behaviors that can best be described as relying on spatial memory in other primates (Rolls, 1991), rats (Cho & Kesner, 1996; Olton & Samuelson, 1976), and even honey bees (Collett & Cartwright, 1983), yet human navigation and spatial memory seem intuitively difficult to characterize fully. The goal of this chapter is to address this issue by exploring how evidence from studies of the brain, in conjunction with behavioral results, can elucidate the multifaceted nature of human spatial cognition.
