Imposing structure on a Corsi-type task: evidence for hierarchical organisation based on spatial proximity in serial-spatial memory.
Structure was imposed on a tapping task by requiring participants to reproduce sequences of responses to icons organised in spatial clusters. A first experiment featured sequences either segregated or not segregated by clusters. Accuracy was higher for sequences segregated by clusters. Moreover, inter-response times were longer at cluster boundaries than within cluster boundaries. To rule out possible confounding effects of movement length, this temporal pattern was replicated in a second experiment requiring a single response indicating the next sequential step, following the presentation of a portion of a previously practised sequence. These results suggest that sequence reproduction can be sustained by a hierarchical representation based on spatial proximity and provide a first indication of the role of spatial structure in serial-spatial memory.
De Lillo
Carlo
C
School of Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK. cdl2@le.ac.uk
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002965:Classification; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012691:Serial Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*