The Nine Box Maze Test: A measure of spatial memory development in children

This study investigates the development of visuo-spatial memory in school-aged children, as measured by the Nine Box Maze Test Child Version (NBMT-CV). This task, originally developed for adults by Abrahams, Pickering, Polkey, and Morris (1997), utilises an allocentric framework to assess the complexities of spatial memory. Sixty children participated in this study (aged 5–12 years), which also involved administration of traditional ‘non-verbal’ memory tests. Results indicate that visuo-spatial memory develops across childhood and that the NBMT-CV taps distinct skills compared to other ‘non-verbal’ memory tasks. The theoretical, assessment and developmental issues raised by these findings are discussed.