WHY MAPS IMPROVE MEMORY FOR TEXT - THE INFLUENCE OF STRUCTURAL INFORMATION ON WORKING-MEMORY OPERATIONS

In order to test how associated verbal and spatial stimuli are process ed in memory, undergraduates studied a reference map as either an inta ct unit or as a series of individual features, and read a text contain ing facts related to map features. In addition, the map was presented either before or after reading the text. Seeing the intact map prior t o the text led to better recall of both map information and facts from the text. These results support a dual coding model, where stimuli su ch as maps possess a retrieval advantage because they allow simultaneo us representation in working memory. This advantage occurs because inf ormation from the map can be used to cue retrieval of associated verba l facts, without exceeding the processing constraints of the memorial system.