The Effect of Emotional Landmarks on Navigation

LITVAK, JACQUELINE The Effect of Emotional Landmarks on Navigation Department of Neuroscience, 2012 ADVISOR: Daniel Burns Navigation is an essential activity that dictates which environments individuals choose to travel through. Effective navigation occurs when individuals reach their destination point efficiently and without harm. Previous research dictates that landmarks are one of the most popular ways in which individuals maintain orientation and remember a route. The goal of the current study was to investigate how emotional landmarks (landmarks that hold either a positive or negative connotation) effect navigational decision-making. Based on individuals’ tendencies to choose low risk options, it was hypothesized that participants would use the positive landmarks more effectively (i.e. participants would travel in the direction of the positive landmarks, allowing them to reach the destination point faster). Sixty participants completed a virtual reality maze. Throughout the maze were either positively or negatively rated pictures. Each participant completed four trials of the same maze, and had a minute and a half to find the destination point during each trial. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and a Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) afterwards. Contrary to my hypothesis, neither females nor males utilized positive landmarks more effectively and efficiently in the virtual reality environment. Instead, females preferred negative landmarks, and performed better in the virtual reality maze when exposed to these landmarks. Effect of Emotional Landmarks 3 Introduction Over time, human navigation has changed from the use of stars as landmarks to listening to computer-generated voices providing turn-by-turn directions. Humans seem to have an innate sense of spatial awareness that benefits in natural navigational abilities. However, with the invention of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation has lost its complexity. Therefore, individuals who may once have believed they had a poor sense of direction have developed a sense of security. Although the GPS is an excellent navigational resource, it does not focus on environmental factors. A GPS is programmed to find the shortest route to the destination but does not have the ability to choose routes based on the quality of the neighborhoods or surroundings. Consequently, many people are left driving through dangerous regions, cemeteries, or other areas associated with negative emotions. Little research has been conducted to test how emotional aspects of the environment influence navigational ability. The current study investigates how emotional qualities of landmarks could benefit or harm navigational ability. Although navigation feels like a single, natural process, it consists of many different mechanisms. The goal of the following section is to explain the most common definitions and discuss some of the theories related to navigation. First I will define navigation and the components that assist in efficient navigation. After, I will summarize previous research that explores the different aspects of navigation, as well as, the factors that influence navigation. Then, the role of landmarks in navigation will be explained. Next, there will be a brief description on how emotion affects the decision making process. Finally, I will describe the purpose and hypothesis of the current study. Effect of Emotional Landmarks 4 The Components of Navigation: Locomotion, Wayfinding, and Orientation Navigation is defined as the process by which individuals move throughout the environment. It encompasses both the design and implementation of movements. These two aspects of navigation are better known as locomotion and wayfinding (Montello, 2005). Locomotion is the body’s movement in proximal (movements occurring attached to or near the body) and distal (movements occurring away from the body) surroundings. Movement that requires direct energy is known as active locomotion. Active locomotion is driven by the individual--it is self-directed and self-powered. The process of active locomotion allows an individual to explore and learn his or her surrounding environment. Movement that requires little or no energy from an individual is passive locomotion. Passive locomotion occurs when individuals are moving in a vehicle, such as a car, train, or plane (Montello, 2005). The goaloriented aspect of navigation is called wayfinding. Wayfinding involves knowledge of the destination and a plan of movement (Montello, 2005, & Gerber & Kwan, 1994 as cited in Saucier et. al., 2002). According to Dudchenko (2010), there are three types of wayfinding: oriented search, route following, and landmark-to-landmark. Oriented search occurs when an individual is at a known start location and searches for a destination relative to that location. Following a marked pathway is an example of route following. The last type of wayfinding, landmark-to-landmark, integrates the use of directions, an explanation of how to locate a destination, using specific features in the environment. Although locomotion and wayfinding typically work together to create the traditional form of navigation, it is possible to have wayfinding without locomotion, and vice versa (Montello, 2005). For instance, pacing back and forth while studying is still a form of locomotion, but is not goal oriented. The ability to plan a Effect of Emotional Landmarks 5 trip to another country is a form of wayfinding without locomotion. Locomotion and wayfinding are the basis by which individuals navigate through their environment. In order to successfully navigate, a destination must be reached safely and efficiently. Effective navigation occurs when one maintains awareness of his or her geographical orientation (Montello, 2005). During navigation orientation is always fluid movement causes orientation to continually change. Therefore, it is important that individuals continuously update their geographical orientation. Two proposed mechanisms that allow individuals to maintain their orientation are landmark-based and dead reckoning processes (Montello, 2005). Individuals who use landmark-based processes maintain their orientation through recognizing and remembering distinguishable features in their environment throughout navigation. Dead reckoning is a more scientific and mathematically based mechanism that requires individuals to keep track of their movements, speed, and start location. Montello (2005) suggests that individuals keep track of their orientation by means of reference points. According to Hart and Moore (as cited in Montello, 2005), there are three different types of methods used to describe a reference point: egocentric, fixed, and coordinated. An egocentric description is relative to the person, a fixed description is relative to a landmark, and a coordinated description is based on imaginary axes. For instance, if an individual uses the egocentric method they would describe their location using themselves as a reference point. Therefore, an individual may explain their location as a place they were present at previously. If an individual uses the fixed method, they would describe their location using features in his or her environment. This is the most commonly used method. Any individual who describes his or her location using colors in his or her environment, buildings, or signs is using the fixed method. Lastly, if an individual describes their location Effect of Emotional Landmarks 6 using the coordinate method, he or she may utilize the latitude and longitude values found on maps. Pilots and sailors use this to describe their locations as they are traveling. As stated earlier, updating orientation is essential for understanding location. Maintaining orientation while navigating requires a significant amount of attentional resources. For instance, in order to remember a route, many individuals will intentionally memorize the path or landmarks that lead them to their destination (Montello, 2005), an effortful process. Three tactful processes or strategies that people often use to help maintain orientation are: edge following, route or directional following, and the look back strategy (Montello, 2005). Edge following requires that the destination falls along an edge (i.e. shore, etc.). Therefore, if one follows that edge, they will always reach the destination. Route or directional following is beneficial for short distances. Individuals travel short distances away from a base to gain information about their environment without losing site of their start location. Therefore, they can maintain their orientation while learning more about their surroundings. The look back strategy involves a significant amount of memory storage. In this strategy, individuals look behind them and memorize the view in order to remember their path and maintain their orientation. If individuals do not maintain their orientation they will lack the ability to familiarize themselves with their environment. What is Efficient Navigation? Previous research has suggested that people may create a “cognitive map” to aid navigation. A cognitive map is a mental representation of past routes traveled. Research conducted by O’Keefe and Nadel (as cited in Berthoz, Viaud-Delmon, & Lambrey, 2002), suggested that cognitive maps are located in the hippocampus, the area of the brain believed to be responsible for navigation, as well as both long-term and short-term memory storage. Effect of Emotional Landmarks 7 Cognitive maps are proposed to contain directions and distances traveled between landmarks (Dudchenko, 2010). Although, a cognitive map would simplify the understanding of navigation, research focusing on the use of landmarks has provided evidence against this idea. Instead of relying on an overall representation of an environment through the cognitive map, the research suggests that individuals continuously update their location