Abstract

Spatial memory refers to the pathways in the brain that are needed to plan routes to specific locations and remembering where an object is located. This allows humans to use information about their environment to form a model of that environment with instructions on how to navigate it. To do so, the brain integrates sensory information with a map of the environment, to give information about how to traverse it. This experiment investigates whether  spatial memory can be transferred between 2D and 3D environments using the Rey-Osterrieth test and Minecraft. It uses one-way ANOVA tests, a Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, and Model 2 Regression to explore the relationships between different factors on the time taken and errors made in completing the maze. Despite having a small sample size, this project shows a statistically significant positive correlation between a participant’s Rey-Osterrieth score and the number of errors they make on a particular maze. This shows some evidence that spatial memory can be transferred between 2D and 3D environments because of this correlation, but there must be more statistical tests carried out to prove this. These tests include ones that analyze larger datasets, and could shed light on teen hippocampal activity and how spatial memory manifests and is transferred specifically within teen brains.