| Abstract: | This study examined the effects of task demand and familiarity on students' perception and processing of spatial information upon viewing visuospatial representations. Participants in South Korea were told that they would travel through an area, either drawing a map or observing the scenery depicted in photographs. The level of familiarity in the photographs was manipulated in three categories: neighborhood, Seoul (capital city of South Korea), and foreign cities. In two experiments, this study investigated students' eye movements, memory, and response sensitivity and bias. The results indicate that the participants in the map-drawing condition focused on structural information, such as routes, and that their memory of the scenes was more accurate. Moreover, the map-drawing group students were more sensitive and prudent in their responses. The increased level of familiarity also made students focus on structural information. The findings provide useful strategies for geography educators to use visuospatial representations. |
