Around The Globe

Visual Memory

Imagine you are out walking on a cloudy day. All around you, the land is flat and covered with snow, and you cannot see your house. How do you find your way home?

If you are a native of Northern Alaska, you may simply look at a mental map. Westerners who explored the Arctic in the nineteenth century were astounded by sophisticated 3-D maps Native American Inuits drew by hand. Modern researchers have tested Inuit children by having them look at pictures, then draw them from memory. Arctic natives remembered the relationships between parts of the picture better than Caucasians. In other words, they had excellent mental spatial maps. Both sexes had equally good visual memories. (McShane & Berry, 1988: McArthur, 1978: Kleinfeld, 1971)

There are many explanations for the Inuits' visual ability. Traditionally, Inuits have hunted for food on monotonous flat tundra and sea-ice, where a good memory for visual detail is important for navigation. Over time, there may have been genetic selection for people who have good visual memory. On the other hand, there are also strong social motivations to remember where you are. In the past, young hunters who got lost were publicly ridiculed and scorned.