Comparing Judgments of Relative Direction and Object-Based Judgments as Measures of Human Spatial Memory: Evaluation with a Measurement Model
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Directional pointing tasks—particularly judgments of relative direction (JRDs)—have advanced research on spatial memory. However, overreliance on a single measurement task like JRDs may miss nuances in how spatial information is processed and represented. Therefore, we compare JRDs with object-based judgments (OBJs). While these measures seem to reflect different cognitive processes, a parameter-free measurement model suggests they assess the same underlying memory representations. This model, grounded in two key assumptions, allows point estimates of JRD absolute angular error to be calculated from specific OBJ responses. Across two experiments ( N = 96), we found support for two conclusions: (a) JRDs and OBJs access the same memory representations, and (b) JRDs combine the absolute angular error from two different sources, while OBJs isolate a single source, making OBJs more specific.
Institutions: Wright State University, University of Minnesota
Language: English
Subfield: Automotive Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,650
OpenAlex ID: W7148733138