Visuo-spatial Working Memory and Individual Differences

Research on both visuo-spatial representation and mental imagery has developed rapidly over the past decade. This has lead to a greater understanding of the specific mechanisms which underlie visuo-spatial cognition, and the relationship between these and more general concepts such as working memory and executive processes. However, it is also vital that theoretical models of these mechanisms be integrated in order to develop a cogent account of human cognition. In this book Cornoldi and Vecchi describe a coherent experimental approach to the investigation of visuo-spatial cognition, based upon the analysis of individual differences. A review of the most influential theoretical advances in the study of visuo-spatial cognition is presented, including both critical analysis and comparisons between the distinct approaches. In addition, the authors describe recent research into memory for spatial configurations, mental manipulation and the active integration of visuo-spatial information. This includesstudies on the effects of congenital blindness on mental imagery abilities, developmental and age-related modifications, gender effects, and the role of genetic syndromes in determining visuo-spatial abilities. The authors draw together these distinct areas of research and integrate the findings within an innovative framework of working memory. This timely and comprehensive text will be a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of psychology, as well as researchers in the fields of experimental and cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and neuroscience.