How do you get there from here? Mental representations of route descriptions

In two experiments, participants received a spatial description relating a route through an environment. Descriptions differed in terms of the spatial perspective presented, either route or survey, and the degree to which spa tial information was determined, either indeterminate, determinate, or over determinate. In Experiment 1, participants read the description and in Expe riment 2 they listened to the description and took notes for later use. Res ults indicated that perspective and determinacy influenced memory and the c ontents of participants' notes. More specifically, perspective influenced t he integration of information. The effect of determinacy depended on degree . Indeterminacy influenced use of a mental representation, in particular du ring wayfinding. Overdeterminacy stressed working memory, thereby influenci ng many aspects of performance. In summary, perspective and determinacy, wh ich commonly vary in spatial descriptions, influence the ability to efficie ntly use descriptions. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.