ABSTRACT
Space and time. According to physicists, this is the fabric that makes up our reality. They also provide the framework for the events that we experience and remember. Spatial information allows us to navigate, locate objects, estimate distances, and so on. In this chapter we look at how memory for spatial configurations corresponds to physical layouts and the influences that distort memory for space. In general, space is a relatively static dimension of reality. We can move from one location to another and back again with ease and with little change in the spaces themselves. In contrast, temporal information allows us to understand when events occurred, with respect to the present, to other events in the past, or even to a standard time scale, such as a calendar. Unlike spatial location, our current place in time is always, inexorably, being pushed forward. We can’t go back. This chapter addresses how time information is stored and retrieved from memory, influencing how accurate people are in locating memories in time.
