DIVERSITY WITHIN SPATIAL COGNITION - MEMORY PROCESSES UNDERLYING PLACE RECOGNITION

We conducted three experiments to explore distinct memory processes in volved in remembering places in spatial environments. The results of a ll three experiments demonstrated the viability of the process-dissoci ation procedure for studying spatial cognition; that procedure yielded separate measures of the role of familiarity (implicit memory) and co nscious recollection (explicit memory) in recognizing scenes along a p reviously viewed route of travel. Those measures were not affected by whether the participants viewed videotapes or also physically walked t he route of travel. Increasing the delay between encoding and retrieva l led to comparable effects for familiarity and conscious recollection (Experiment 1). In contrast, the adverse consequences of dividing att ention during encoding were specific to conscious recollection; famili arity estimates were unaffected (Experiments 2 and 3). Overall, the re sults reinforced the viability of process dissociation as a vehicle fo r exploring diverse memory processes underlying place recognition.