Proximity to an edge affects search strategy in adults and children

When searching for a hidden goal, search patterns are often defined according to one of two main search strategies: an absolute strategy, which usually involves searching at a fixed learned distance and direction from a particular reference point, or a relational strategy, which involves searching at a point that maintains the relationship between two or more other points. Past research has shown that humans tend to prefer a relational strategy whereas most non-humans prefer an absolute strategy. However, recent research (Hartley et al., 2004) used a simulated 3D environment to demonstrate that proximity to a boundary affects strategy. In particular, when searching close to an edge, human participants were more likely to use an absolute strategy whereas when searching at a central location, participants were more likely to use a relational strategy. The current studies extend the findings of Hartley et al. Experiment 1 showed that adult humans use different strategies based on the goal's proximity to the edge of a search space, and that strategies differed between males and females. Experiment 2 suggested that children also use different strategies based on the goal's proximity to a boundary, and that some goal locations may be harder to learn than others. Taken together, our results show that search strategies are flexible and context-specific.