The role of attention in spatial learning during simulated route navigation

Previous research has demonstrated the importance of attention in the devel opment of survey (or configural) knowledge of the environment. However, it is unclear if attention is also necessary for the development of route know ledge. Our aim in this paper is to evaluate the specific role of attention in the acquisition of both route and survey knowledge during simulated navi gation. In four experiments, subjects in a condition of full or divided att ention were presented a series of routes through a simulated environment. S patial learning was assessed by having subjects discriminate between old an d novel route segments in a subsequent recognition test. Novel route segmen ts consisted of old landmarks from the same route but in the wrong order or with wrong turns, or consisted of old landmarks from two separate routes, or contained old landmarks in new spatial relations to one another. Divided attention disrupted memory for sequences of landmarks (experiment 1), land mark-turn associations (experiment 2), landmark-route associations (experim ent 3), and spatial relations between landmarks (experiment 4). Together, t hese results show that even relatively simple components of spatial learnin g during navigation require attention. Furthermore, divided attention disru pts the acquisition of spatial knowledge at both the route level and the su rvey level.