Ricerc@Sapienza

BACKGROUND: Reading a map requires the ability to judge one ’ s position in a large-scale space from information presented in a
small-scale representation. Individuals are more accurate and faster in making judgments when the “ up ” direction on the
map is the same as the “ forward ” direction of the environment, which is when a map is aligned with the perspective of
the spatial layout they have learned (alignment eff ect). The aim of this study was to explore whether military pilots, who

Mental imagery plays a crucial role in several cognitive processes, including human navigation. According to the Kosslyn’s Model, mental imagery is subserved by three components: generation, inspection and transformation. The role of transformation, where by individuals recognise, from a different perspective, a place they have already visited, is no longer a matter of debate. However, the role of the other two components when recalling a map from different perspectives, has never been fully investigated.