Allocentric-heading recall and its relation to self-reported sense-of-direction

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Neuroscience
• Spatial cognition

Background:

• A sense of direction (SOD) is crucial for environmental navigation.
• Understanding the functional properties and individual differences in SOD systems is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the functioning of the sense of direction (SOD) system.
• To establish the construct validity of a heading-recall task for assessing SOD.
• To explore individual differences in SOD efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments utilized a heading-recall task where participants identified the photographer's allocentric heading.
• Task performance was correlated with self-reported SOD ratings.
• Heading-recall accuracy was assessed across the full range and at extremes of SOD ratings.

Main Results:

• Significant variability in heading-recall accuracy was observed across participants.
• Heading-recall performance strongly covaried with self-rated SOD.
• Parametric manipulation of task parameters provided insights into SOD system function.

Conclusions:

• The findings provide evidence for the psychological reality of a sense of direction (SOD) system.
• Individual differences in the efficacy of the SOD system are substantial.
• The heading-recall task is a valid measure for assessing SOD functioning.