Map Edges: Focal Points for Facilitating Text Recall

In two experiments undergraduate students were shown maps with features located either along an edge or within the interior of the map. Next, participants were asked to read a related text. Thereafter, they were asked to recall as much of the text information as possible and to reconstruct the map. In both experiments, the results consistently showed that students recall significantly more information when features are located along the edges of the maps. These findings will help give teachers and designers of classroom displays a better understanding of how to create maps that will facilitate the recall of related information.