Successful navigation: the influence of task goals and working memory

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Spatial Cognition

Background:

• Navigation accuracy is crucial, yet factors influencing it require further analysis.
• Understanding the interplay between environmental learning, task objectives, and working memory (WM) is essential for improving navigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different task goals (route-based vs. survey-based) influence navigation performance.
• To examine the role of working memory (WM) capacity in navigation accuracy under dual-task conditions.

Main Methods:

• Ninety undergraduates participated in a virtual navigation task with either a route-based or survey-based goal.
• Participants were assigned to control, visuo-spatial secondary task, or verbal secondary task conditions.
• Navigation performance was assessed through route tracing and shortcut finding tasks, alongside WM assessments.

Main Results:

• Route-based goals led to superior performance in route tracing.
• Survey-based goals resulted in better shortcut identification.
• Higher visuo-spatial and verbal working memory capacity reduced route-tracing errors during a visuo-spatial secondary task.

Conclusions:

• Task goals significantly modulate navigation strategy and success.
• Working memory plays a protective role in route tracing, particularly when cognitive load increases.
• Findings provide insights into optimizing navigation systems and training based on user goals and cognitive abilities.