When young and older adults learn a map: the influence of individual visuo-spatial factors

The present study explores how age and individual visuo-spatial factors influence the processes underlying spatial mental representations derived by learning from a map. Forty young adults (24–35 years old) and 40 older adults (65–75 years old) were assessed on visuo-spatial abilities and self-assessed spatial preferences. Then they studied a map of a botanical garden and were asked to place a list of landmarks on a sketch. When missed locations were considered in calculating accuracy, older adultswere less accurate than young adults, and accuracy was predicted by age and a preference for exploring new environments.When only the landmarks placed in the sketchwere considered, however, older adultswere as accurate as young adults, and accuracy was predicted only by visuo-spatialworkingmemory. These findings showthat spatial representations have features differently predicted by age and visuo-spatial factors, and are discussed in the light of aging and spatial neurocognitive models.