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The cognitive determinants of performance on the Austin Maze

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 1999

SIMON F. CROWE
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
LEE BARCLAY
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
STEVE BRENNAN
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
LINDA FARKAS
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
EMMA GOULD
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
SHARON KATCHMARSKY
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
SAMANTHA VAYDA
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate which abilities are measured by the Austin Maze. One hundred and eight university students were administered a battery of eight neuropsychological tests including, the Austin Maze, the Tower of London, the Wisconsin Card Sort Test, Block Design, the Visual Spatial Learning Test, Digit Span Backwards, the Brown-Peterson Task and the Wide Range Achievement Test of Reading. Results indicated that visuospatial ability and memory both significantly contributed to performance on the Austin Maze, but differed in the degree to which they explained the performance depending on which measure of maze performance was employed. It appears that visuospatial ability is measured in early trials of the Austin Maze when individuals are orienting themselves to the path. In later trials individuals must call upon visuospatial memory to consolidate the details of the path. Executive function and working memory were not found to be significantly implicated in performance on the Austin Maze. (JINS, 1999, 5, 1–9.)

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1999 The International Neuropsychological Society

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