Exploration patterns shape cognitive map learning.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Neuroscience
• Environmental psychology

Background:

• Cognitive maps are essential for spatial navigation and understanding environments.
• Previous research focused on learning from controlled tasks, limiting understanding of naturalistic exploration.
• How free exploration shapes cognitive maps remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if exploration trajectories predict cognitive map accuracy during free exploration.
• To examine how environmental structure influences these exploration patterns.
• To test if self-reported navigation ability mediates the relationship between exploration and map accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Participants freely explored unfamiliar virtual environments in two experiments.
• Exploration trajectories were analyzed in relation to environmental structure, specifically areas of high global connectivity (integration) using space syntax.
• Cognitive map accuracy was measured after the exploration period.

Main Results:

• Greater time spent on paths offering integration opportunities correlated with more accurate cognitive maps.
• Exploration patterns, not self-reported navigation ability, predicted cognitive map accuracy.
• No support was found for navigation ability mediating the relationship between exploration and map accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Exploration patterns during naturalistic navigation are key predictors of cognitive map accuracy.
• Environmental structure, particularly integration, plays a significant role in effective spatial learning.
• Future models should incorporate both environmental factors and individual exploration strategies, acknowledging that even those with low self-reported ability can form accurate cognitive maps.