Can Active Navigation Be as Good as Driving? A Comparison of Spatial Memory in Drivers and Backseat Drivers

Autor/inn/en	von Stulpnagel, Rul; Steffens, Melanie C.
Titel	Can Active Navigation Be as Good as Driving? A Comparison of Spatial Memory in Drivers and Backseat Drivers
Quelle	In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 18 (2012) 2, S.162-177 (16 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1076-898X
DOI	10.1037/a0027133
Schlagwörter	Brain Hemisphere Functions; Memory; Virtual Classrooms; Experiments; Motor Vehicles; Task Analysis; Recognition (Psychology); Navigation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Gedächtnis; Erprobung; Motor vehicle; Kraftwagen; Aufgabenanalyse; Recognition; Wiedererkennen
Abstract	When driving a vehicle, either the driver or a passenger (henceforth: backseat driver) may be responsible for navigation. Research on active navigation, primarily addressed in virtual environments, suggests that controlling navigation is more central for spatial learning than controlling movement. To test this assumption in a real-world scenario, we manipulated movement control through seating participants in the front or the back position of a tandem bike, and navigation control by presenting differently detailed maps to participants unfamiliar (Experiment 1) or familiar (Experiment 2) with an environment. Landmark knowledge was tested with recognition tasks. For participants unfamiliar with the environment (Experiment 1), passive navigation enabled better landmark recognition than active navigation, but there was no effect of movement control. For participants more familiar with the environment (Experiment 2), there was no effect of navigation control, but drivers showed better landmark recognition than backseat drivers. These findings are discussed in relation to action memory research. Measures of route and survey knowledge demonstrated that good performance resulted from active navigation (Experiment 1-2). Moreover, with regard to these measures, driving compensated for passive navigation if the environment was familiar (Experiment 2). An additional experiment in a lab setting (Experiment 3) validated the manipulation of navigation control and the used tasks and demonstrated the importance of real environment exposure. As our findings suggest, driving may be more relevant for remembering landmarks, but actively controlling navigation (even as a backseat driver) is more relevant for remembering a route than maneuvering a vehicle. (Contains 4 figures, 3 tables, and 6 footnotes.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org/publications
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10