Body-based senses enhance knowledge of directions in large-scale environments.
Previous research has shown that inertial cues resulting from passive transport through a large environment do not necessarily facilitate acquiring knowledge about its layout. Here we examine whether the additional body-based cues that result from active movement facilitate the acquisition of spatial knowledge. Three groups of participants learned locations along an 840-m route. One group walked the route during learning, allowing access to body-based cues (i.e., vestibular, proprioceptive, and efferent information). Another group learned by sitting in the laboratory, watching videos made from the first group. A third group watched a specially made video that minimized potentially confusing head-on-trunk rotations of the viewpoint. All groups were tested on their knowledge of directions in the environment as well as on its configural properties. Having access to body-based information reduced pointing error by a small but significant amount. Regardless of the sensory information available during learning, participants exhibited strikingly common biases.
Waller
David
D
Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA. wallerda@muohio.edu
Loomis
Jack M
JM
Haun
Daniel B M
DB
D003463:Cues; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009476:Neurons, Efferent; D011434:Proprioception; D012677:Sensation; D014743:Videotape Recording