IB Psychology – Biological Approach Practice Test

Navigation relies on the hippocampus to form and use cognitive maps of the environment. In the London taxi driver study, extensive navigation experience was linked to a structural change in the brain, specifically a larger posterior hippocampus. This rear portion of the hippocampus is particularly involved in processing spatial layouts, routes, and precise spatial memory. The result supports the idea that demanding navigational work can shape the brain to enhance the skills it relies on. The other regions don’t align as directly with navigation: the prefrontal cortex is more about planning and executive control, the amygdala handles emotion, and while the anterior hippocampus is involved in other aspects of memory and emotion, the observed adaptation was in the posterior part that supports navigation, making it the most fitting choice.