119— The Role of Post-Encoding Retrieval on Cognitive and Neural Representations of Spatial Environments

Spatial memory is an important ability for navigating around one’s surrounding environment. However, due to the challenges of developing experimental paradigms that utilize large scale, real-world environments, little research has analyzed, in detail, the development of cognitive maps over time. Past research in rodents has shown that hippocampal place-cells replay during periods of quiet wakefulness, suggesting that mental replay of recent spatial experiences is tied to the development of cognitive maps. In humans, we hypothesize that the development of cognitive maps could therefore be manipulated by having participants selectively recall recent navigational experiences. We analyzed the development of cognitive maps for novel, real-world spatial environments in two groups, a spatial sequencing group (SSG) and rote-retrieval group (RRG), over a period of 2 weeks using Google Street View software. After navigating through the environment, participants’ spatial memories were tested with either rote retrieval or spatial sequencing recognition tests. Our preliminary results suggest the RRG was more successful navigating previously learned routes than the SSG with more practice on the trained routes, whereas the SSG may have developed some ability to discover shortcuts by being encouraged to think more broadly about the routes they were learning, and not rely on memorization.