Effects of Environmental Shape on Spatial Navigation Manifest Differently in Egocentric and Allocentric Memory Probes
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Oliveira, Felipe Costa Lara
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Spatial navigation is crucial for independence but is often impaired in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and dementia, which affect spatial cognition. This study examines how environmental geometry—comparing square and trapezoidal room shapes—impacts spatial memory through egocentric (self-centered) and allocentric (map-like) encoding systems. Sixty-eight healthy young adults participated in a virtual navigation experiment navigating environments with different shapes and ground textures. Spatial memory was evaluated using an egocentric retrace test (Egocentric Spatial Error, ESE) and an allocentric puzzle test (Allocentric Spatial Error, ASE). Linear mixed-effects models showed that environmental shape significantly affected allocentric memory, with lower ASE scores in trapezoidal environments (β = -0.112, p = 0.029), indicating better performance. No significant effect was found on egocentric memory (β = -0.049, p = 0.146). These results suggest that asymmetrical environments enhance allocentric spatial memory by providing more distinctive cues, while egocentric navigation relies less on environmental geometry due to immediate sensory feedback. The findings integrate biological and cognitive perspectives on spatial navigation and have implications for designing environments that support spatial orientation in individuals with AD and dementia.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis