Path Learning From Navigation in Aging: The Role of Cognitive Functioning and Wayfinding Inclinations

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Human Geography
• Gerontology

Background:

• Aging is associated with declines in navigation and wayfinding.
• Individual factors influencing age-related navigation decline require further investigation.
• Understanding these factors can inform interventions to support older adults' independence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how objective cognitive function and subjective wayfinding preferences predict navigation performance in older adults.
• To differentiate the impact of cognitive abilities versus wayfinding inclinations on distinct navigation tasks.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-four older adults completed cognitive assessments (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, visuospatial working memory, perspective-taking).
• Participants reported wayfinding inclinations (sense of direction, exploration enjoyment, spatial anxiety).
• Navigation was assessed via video learning, a route repetition task (egocentric), and a sketch map task (allocentric).

Main Results:

• Positive wayfinding inclinations, specifically pleasure in exploring, correlated with better performance on the route repetition task.
• General cognitive performance (Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores) predicted accuracy in the sketch map task.
• Different individual factors uniquely influenced navigation performance based on task demands.

Conclusions:

• Both cognitive functioning and wayfinding inclinations are crucial for older adults' navigation.
• The influence of these factors is task-dependent, highlighting the complexity of navigation in aging.
• Personalized strategies may enhance navigation abilities in older populations.