A Research Note on Decision Making During Displacements on Urban Maps: Effectiveness of Spatial Imagery

Abstract

This study aimed to find out whether both the ability to mentally form spatial imagery and the ability to rotate mental images exerted any influence on the measure of the ability to move on maps. To that end, a total of 212 university students were asked to complete three tests: one measured the ability to form mental spatial images, one measured the ability to mentally rotate images and the last one measured the ability to move on maps. It was found that people high in spatial imagery and people high in mental rotation had more hits and more hits minus errors in the task of orienting themselves on urban maps than participants low in spatial imagery and those low in mental rotation. Spatial imagery ability and mental rotation ability did not influence the number of errors people made when orienting themselves on urban maps.