Keeping Track of Where Things Are in Space: The Neuropsychology of Object Location Memory

The ability to memorize the location of objects holds a central place within spatial cognition. It allows us to relocate personal belongings. In this chapter, we first discuss the spatial components of current theories on working memory and how these theories help understand object location memory. Next, the use of different perspectives from which to memorize object locations are discussed; locations can be represented as a “snapshot,” from the viewpoint of the observer (“egocentric”), or based on the environment (“allocentric”). Also, we will address the fractionation of object location memory into three separate components; memory for object identity, location, and binding of objects to locations. Finally, we will cover consciousness in relation to object location memory.