Map-mediated dialogues: effects of map orientation differences and shared reference points on map location-finding...

The effects of individual differences in map orientation on a location-finding dyadic team task were examined in a controlled experimental setting.

Research on maps has been mainly directed at individuals navigating with cartographic maps. An important question remains about how to present information about others' locations to distributed team members.

In a repeated-measures factorial design, distributed dyad members had to reach a shared understanding through map-mediated human-to-human dialogues about specific preset locations on digitized maps. Maps were rotated independently to different degrees, which produced alignment differences of various magnitudes between both members. Some of these maps were complemented with additional geospatial information (i.e., landmarks, compass rose, and map grid) to provide for shared reference points.

Dyads using maps with identical orientations for both members performed the task more accurately than dyads using maps that varied in orientation between dyad members.The addition of geospatial information to maps providing for shared reference points helped the teamwork. Distributed dyads using maps that vary in orientation between dyad members benefit more from shared reference points than dyads using maps with orientations that are identical for both members.

We conclude that shared reference points help distributed dyads using maps that vary in orientation between dyad members to perform as well as dyads using maps with identical alignment.

This article shows how to provide support for team coordination in distributed settings and facilitates the development of groupware to support distributed teamwork.