Two separate memory systems
The brain does not use a single, general-purpose memory system. Instead, different types of information are encoded, stored, and retrieved through partially distinct neural circuits. Location memory — knowing where things are in the world — is handled primarily by circuits in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and parietal lobe. Verbal memory — remembering words, names, and language — relies more heavily on the left temporal lobe and language-associated cortical networks.
The fact that these systems are distinct is not just academic: it explains why someone who struggles to remember names at a party might navigate flawlessly through a city visited once years ago, and why others are the reverse. You can test both independently — the Visual Memory test (spatial) and the Verbal Memory test measure different systems, and your scores on each can differ by several percentile ranks.
The 2014 Nobel Prize discovery
John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser, and Edvard Moser won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2014 for discovering the brain's "positioning system." O'Keefe found "place cells" in the hippocampus — neurons that fire only when an animal is in a specific location. The Mosers found "grid cells" in the entorhinal cortex that fire in repeating hexagonal patterns to create a coordinate system for space. This dedicated spatial circuitry is why location memory can be so vivid and precise even when verbal memory is weak.
Why people vary: genetics, experience, and navigation habits
Individual differences in spatial versus verbal memory strength come from at least three overlapping sources:
Genetic predispositions and brain lateralization
High evidenceTwin studies indicate moderate heritability (around 40–60%) for both verbal and spatial memory. The degree to which verbal functions are lateralized to the left hemisphere and spatial functions to the right varies between individuals, and this lateralization has a genetic component. People with more bilateral language processing tend to have more right-hemisphere spatial resources available, which may support stronger spatial memory.
Navigation habits and hippocampal volume
High evidenceThe famous London taxi driver study (Maguire et al., 2000, 2011) showed that professional taxi drivers who memorize thousands of street routes have measurably larger posterior hippocampi compared to non-taxi drivers. The volume difference was proportional to years of experience — a remarkable demonstration that spatial navigation experience literally reshapes the spatial memory system. People who navigate frequently without GPS maintain larger and more active hippocampal spatial circuits.
Verbal rehearsal strategies and language experience
Moderate evidencePeople who instinctively use verbal labels to encode spatial information ("the blue building on the left at the intersection") recruit both verbal and spatial systems for location memory — and this strategy boosts spatial recall performance for those with strong verbal skills. Conversely, people who rely on pure visuospatial encoding without verbalization may outperform on novel environments where verbal labeling is not possible. How you habitually encode information shapes which memory system gets stronger.
The GPS effect: how technology is reshaping location memory
A growing body of research shows that heavy reliance on GPS navigation suppresses hippocampal engagement during travel. A 2017 study by Javadi et al. (Nature Communications) found that participants using GPS showed significantly less hippocampal and prefrontal activity during navigation than those navigating without assistance — and this suppression occurred even when participants were only passively following GPS directions.
This matters because the hippocampus is not only involved in spatial navigation — it is a central hub for all episodic memory consolidation. Chronic GPS reliance may be weakening a system with broader implications than simply getting from A to B. People who grew up before ubiquitous GPS tend to score measurably higher on spatial memory tests than younger adults who navigated primarily via apps from adolescence onward.
| Navigation habit | Hippocampal activation | Spatial memory strength |
|---|---|---|
| Always uses GPS | Minimal during travel | Declining |
| Occasional GPS | Moderate | Maintained |
| Rarely or never uses GPS | High during navigation | Strong |
| Professional navigator (taxi/pilot) | Very high | Exceptional |
Practical implications for your memory profile
Understanding whether you're a "spatial" or "verbal" memorizer has practical value beyond satisfying curiosity. It can guide your study strategies, your choice of memory techniques, and your approach to cognitive training.
If you're a strong spatial memorizer
- →Use the method of loci (memory palace) for verbal information
- →Create mental maps when studying complex material
- →Visualize information spatially rather than as lists
- →Leverage your visual memory advantage
If you're a strong verbal memorizer
- →Narrate spatial information aloud to encode locations
- →Use mnemonic stories for navigation routes
- →Practice navigation without GPS to build spatial circuits
- →Your verbal memory strength transfers to many learning tasks
For more on how verbal memory works and how to strengthen it, read our guide on improving verbal memory naturally. For the visual side, our article on visual memory in learning and navigation covers the practical applications in depth.
Are you a spatial or verbal memorizer?
Take both tests and compare your scores to find your cognitive profile.