The role of environmental features in route-learning: Two exploratory studies of way-finding

Abstract

Cognitive representation of the overall layout of an environment provides information about the relative location of fixed sites in the setting which can be used for orientation purposes while navigating. It was suggested, however, that reliance on geographical orientation in way-finding is most likely in relatively undifferentiated settings. In differentiated settings individuals will tend to utilize environmental features, i.e., landmarks, in way-finding. This hypothesis was examined through two studies. In a laboratory investigation using a videotape of a walk through a neighborhood, subjects were able to learn the route in spite of the fact that the procedure minimized opportunities for geographical orientation, and landscape features appeared to play a significant role. In a field study which was conducted in a wooded area, one group of subjects was exposed to a route which contained prominent objects at each choice, while a second group initially experienced the route without the presence of such features. A subsequent test of way-finding failed to reveal a significant difference in performance errors between the two groups; however, the way-finding strategies adopted by subjects in each condition varied. While specific features and characteristics of the setting seemed to be utilized in route-learning, as well as memory for specific turns per se, geographical orientation did not appear to play an important role.