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Does the visibility of destination matter more than distance in human navigation? A pilot virtual reality study

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Title: Does the visibility of destination matter more than distance in human navigation? A pilot virtual reality study
Authors: Djebbara, Zakaria, Nielsen, Mille Boye, Lomholt, Christina, Yaloz, Tsila, Busk, Cecilie Marie, Dammann, Maibritt
Source: Djebbara, Z, Nielsen, M B, Lomholt, C, Yaloz, T, Busk, C M & Dammann, M 2025, 'Does the visibility of destination matter more than distance in human navigation? A pilot virtual reality study', Architectural Science Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2025.2476648
Publisher Information: Informa UK Limited, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Subject Terms: isovist, architecture, wayfinding, embodied cognition, neuroarchitecture, landmarks, space syntax, Navigation
Description: Navigational decisions depend on both cognitive maps and immediate sensory experiences of the environment. However, when both cognitive maps and immediate sensory experiences are uncertain, it is unclear how decisions are made. Here, we question whether visibility of the destination matters more than the distance to that destination as constructed by our cognitive map [Tolman, E. C. 1948. “Cognitive Maps in Rats and men.” Psychological Review 55 (4): 189–208. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0061626]. We used Virtual Reality to create an embodied navigation task in a uniform environment, where we varied visibility and distance. Participants located two spheres in the environment and were then instructed to find one of them in a subsequent trial. Participants’ choices and movement were analysed. We find that participants base their navigational decisions on distance rather than visibility, favouring shorter distances over visibility. We find that cognitive maps surpass visual appearance, and embodied interactions are crucial for navigation.
Document Type: Article
File Description: application/pdf
Language: English
ISSN: 1758-9622
0003-8628
DOI: 10.1080/00038628.2025.2476648
Access URL: http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105000164399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
https://vbn.aau.dk/da/publications/a268c3ce-0dd1-4b99-9fbb-49524fcbd1bb
https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2025.2476648
https://vbn.aau.dk/ws/files/771116996/Does_the_visibility_of_destination_matter_more_than_distance_in_human_navigation_A_pilot_virtual_reality_study.pdf
Rights: CC BY
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....3ca7fe08d13609dba13db7f86d19a1f2
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:Navigational decisions depend on both cognitive maps and immediate sensory experiences of the environment. However, when both cognitive maps and immediate sensory experiences are uncertain, it is unclear how decisions are made. Here, we question whether visibility of the destination matters more than the distance to that destination as constructed by our cognitive map [Tolman, E. C. 1948. “Cognitive Maps in Rats and men.” Psychological Review 55 (4): 189–208. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0061626]. We used Virtual Reality to create an embodied navigation task in a uniform environment, where we varied visibility and distance. Participants located two spheres in the environment and were then instructed to find one of them in a subsequent trial. Participants’ choices and movement were analysed. We find that participants base their navigational decisions on distance rather than visibility, favouring shorter distances over visibility. We find that cognitive maps surpass visual appearance, and embodied interactions are crucial for navigation.
ISSN:17589622
00038628
DOI:10.1080/00038628.2025.2476648