Spatial perception orientation task (SPOT): developing an accessible tool for measuring spatial working memory.

Software applications are becoming increasingly realistic and complex which creates greater opportunities for work, gameplay and education. However, the limitations of human working memory create serious constraints for software and hardware designers and developers. Working memory capacity differs across individuals and shows growth through early childhood and decline in many older adults. However, recent research has shown that working memory is trainable and can improve problems such as attentional deficit disorder and cognitive problems in aging. The current work describes the development and preliminary validation of SPOT; the Spatial Perception Orientation Task. Spatial working memory is particularly important to spatial cognition, including mental rotation and spatial visualization. It is also important to understanding navigation in complex game worlds. After validation is complete, HCI practitioners will find SPOT easy to use, and available on-line. It will also be usable for different age groups and for those with color deficiencies.