Navigating Indoor with Maps: Representations and Processes

Novice participants were given a schematic map of a multilevel building and performed a series of wayfinding tasks. Consistent with previous research, we found a mix of wayfinding strategies adopted by participants. Further analysis showed that participants incrementally developed and used mental representations of the building by integrating perceptual cues and memories of visited locations with salient features and landmarks represented on the schematic maps. The formation and use of mental representations was found to correlate with spatial ability – participants with better spatial ability would more likely use mental representation to infer relative locations of landmarks and to derive directional guidance for navigation. As a result, the routes chosen were better than those who predominately rely on deictic references to the schematic maps and environment cues.