Kent A. Rittschof

Why maps improve memory for text: The influence of structural information on working memory operations

Abstract In order to test how associated verbal and spatial stimuli are processed in memory, undergraduates studied a reference map as either an intact unit or as a series of individual features, and read a text containing facts related to map features. In addition, the map was presented either before or after reading the text. Seeing the intact map prior to the text led to better recall of both map information and facts from the text. These results support a dual coding model, where stimuli such as maps possess a retrieval advantage because they allow simultaneous representation in working memory. This advantage occurs because information from the map can be used to cue retrieval of associated verbal facts, without exceeding the processing constraints of the memorial system.

Learning and Remembering from Thematic Maps of Familiar Regions.

To examine how four methods of symbolizing data affect learning from thematic maps of familiar regions, two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, 86 college students viewed one of three types of thematic map or a control table, then read a map-related text. Recall of regions with their associated theme information was greater for those who studied a map than for those who studied a table. In Experiment 2, 83 college students viewed one of two types of thematic map for either 1 or 3 min, followed by a map-related text. Shaded-region, or choropleth maps were associated with greater recall of theme information, but longer exposure time was not. In both experiments, map-related text information was recalled more than map-unrelated text information. Choropleth maps and proportional symbol maps were associated with higher reported use of metacognitive strategies. Instructional and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Learning from Cartograms: The Effects of Region Familiarity

Abstract Value-by-area maps, or cartograms, are a curiosity-provoking method of depicting geographically related data. The use of cartograms for learning such data involves a learners familiarity with the region depicted and the distortion of true, earth-centered scale. To examine the effects of region familiarity and region distortion on learning from cartograms, college undergraduates viewed a true-scale map of either a familiar or an unfamiliar region followed by either a cartogram or a data map of the same region. They then drew the true-scale map from memory, and matched map data-levels on a cued-recall map. Long-term familiarity was observed as an important prerequisite for successful use of cartograms. Cartogram depiction of unfamiliar regions resulted in inaccurate reconstructions and degraded levels of data recall. The results were interpreted with respect to cognitive theoretical assumptions. Suggestions were made regarding the instructional use of cartograms.