Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Maps in the Head and Tools in the Hand: Wayfinding and Navigation in a Spatially Enabled Society

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Community Wayfinding: Pathways to Understanding

Abstract

In this chapter, written from a geographical and information science perspective, the author discusses various issues about human wayfinding and navigation. The first section examines the characteristics of space and spatial phenomena that have important implications for the perceptions and behaviors by people in the space, and it discusses why spatial scientists, or geographers, have interest in research into wayfinding. In the second section, the author distinguishes two kinds of representations, internal and external, and explains how people acquire knowledge about the surrounding space and use the stored knowledge and navigational information provided as maps or other navigation tools. In the third section, he describes empirical findings about the effects of navigation tools on spatial learning and wayfinding, and considers the possibility of wayfinding assistance. The last section explores the use of navigation tools in terms of the interaction among the tool, the user, and the space, and thinks about prospects for the spatially enabled or integrated society in the future, called a ubiquitous geospatial information society.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Axon, S., Speake, J., & Crawford, K. (2012). ‘At the next junction, turn left’: Attitudes towards Sat Nav use. Area, 44(2), 170–177. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4762.2012.01086.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakdash, J. Z., Linkenauger, S. A., & Proffitt, D. (2008). Comparing decision-making and control for learning a virtual environment: Backseat drivers learn where they are going. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 52(27), 2117–2121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloom, P., Peterson, M. A., Nadel, L., & Garrett, M. F. (Eds.). (1996). Language and space. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnett, G. E., & Lee, K. (2005). The effect of vehicle navigation systems on the formation of cognitive maps. In G. Underwood (Ed.), Traffic and transport psychology: Theory and application (pp. 407–418). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casey, M. B., Nuttall, R. L., & Pezaris, E. (1997). Mediators of gender differences in mathematics college entrance test scores: A comparison of spatial skills with internalized beliefs and anxieties. Developmental Psychology, 33(4), 669–680. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.33.4.669.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coors, V., Elting, C., Kray, C., & Laakso, K. (2005). Presenting route instructions on mobile devices: From textual directions to 3D visualization. In J. Dykes, A. M. MacEachren, & M.-J. Kraak (Eds.), Exploring geovisualization (pp. 529–550). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Dillemuth, J. (2005). Map design evaluation for mobile display. Cartography and Geographic Information Science, 32(4), 285–301. doi:10.1559/152304005775194773.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillemuth, J. (2009). Navigation tasks with small-display maps: The sum of the parts does not equal the whole. Cartographica, 44(3), 187–200. doi:10.3138/carto.44.3.187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Downs, R. M., & Stea, D. (1973). Cognitive maps and spatial behavior: Process and products. In R. M. Downs & D. Stea (Eds.), Image and environment: Cognitive mapping and spatial behavior (pp. 8–26). Chicago: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk, J. H., Martin, W. W., & Balling, J. D. (1978). The novel field-trip phenomenon: Adjustment to novel settings interferes with task learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 15(2), 127–134. doi:10.1002/tea.3660150207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farrell, M. J., Arnold, P., Pettifer, S., Adams, J., Graham, T., & MacManamon, M. (2003). Transfer of route learning from virtual to real environments. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 9(4), 219–227. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1076-898x.9.4.219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frean, A. (2006, December 27). Use satellite navigation and you’ll miss the chance of finding your inner self. The Times.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardony, A. L., Brunyé, T. T., Mahoney, C. R., & Taylor, H. A. (2013). How navigational aids impair spatial memory: Evidence for divided attention. Spatial Cognition & Computation, 13(4), 319–350. doi:10.1080/13875868.2013.792821.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gartner, G., & Hiller, W. (2010). Impact of restricted display size on spatial knowledge acquisition in the context of pedestrian navigation. In G. Gartner & K. Rehrl (Eds.), Location based services and telecartography II: From sensor fusion to context models (pp. 155–166). Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gartner, G., Cartwright, W., & Peterson, M. P. (Eds.). (2007). Location based services and telecartography. Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaunet, F., Vidal, M., Kemeny, A., & Berthoz, A. (2001). Active, passive and snapshot exploration in a virtual environment: Influence on scene memory, reorientation and path memory. Cognitive Brain Research, 11(3), 409–420. doi:10.1016/S0926-6410(01)00013-1.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gersmehl, P. (2008). Teaching geography (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gewin, V. (2004). Mapping opportunities. Nature, 427, 376–377. doi:10.1038/nj6972-376a.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Golledge, R. G., & Stimson, R. J. (1997). Spatial behavior: A geographic perspective. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hegarty, M. (2010). Components of spatial intelligence. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 52, 265–297. doi:10.1016/S0079-7421(10)52007-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hegarty, M., Richardson, A. E., Montello, D. R., Lovelace, K., & Subbiah, I. (2002). Development of a self-report measure of environmental spatial ability. Intelligence, 30(5), 425–447. doi:10.1016/S0160-2896(02)00116-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ishikawa, T., & Montello, D. R. (2006). Spatial knowledge acquisition from direct experience in the environment: Individual differences in the development of metric knowledge and the integration of separately learned places. Cognitive Psychology, 52(2), 93–129. doi:10.1016/j.cogpsych.2005.08.003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ishikawa, T., & Takahashi, K. (2013). Relationships between methods for presenting information on navigation tools and users’ wayfinding behavior. Cartographic Perspectives, 75, 17–28. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14714/CP75.82.

  • Ishikawa, T., Fujiwara, H., Imai, O., & Okabe, A. (2008). Wayfinding with a GPS-based mobile navigation system: A comparison with maps and direct experience. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(1), 74–82. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.09.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ittelson, W. H. (1973). Environment perception and contemporary perceptual theory. In W. H. Ittelson (Ed.), Environment and cognition (pp. 1–19). New York: Seminar Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keehner, M. M., Tendick, F., Meng, M. V., Anwar, H. P., Hegarty, M., Stoller, M. L., & Duh, Q. (2004). Spatial ability, experience, and skill in laparoscopic surgery. American Journal of Surgery, 188(1), 71–75. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2003.12.059.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koláčný, A. (1969). Cartographic information: A fundamental concept and term in modern cartography. The Cartographic Journal, 6(1), 47–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozhevnikov, M., Motes, M., & Hegarty, M. (2007). Spatial visualization in physics problem solving. Cognitive Science, 31(4), 549–579. doi:10.1080/15326900701399897.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski, L. T., & Bryant, K. J. (1977). Sense-of-direction, spatial orientation, and cognitive maps. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 3(4), 590–598. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.3.4.590.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krüger, A., Aslan, I., & Zimmer, H. (2004). The effects of mobile pedestrian navigation systems on the concurrent acquisition of route and survey knowledge. In S. Brewster & M. Dunlop (Eds.), Mobile human-computer interaction: MobileHCI 2004 (pp. 446–450). Berlin: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Küpper, A. (2005). Location-based services: Fundamentals and operation. Chichester: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Leshed, G., Velden, T., Rieger, O., Kot, B., & Sengers, P. (2008). In-car GPS navigation: Engagement with and disengagement from the environment (Proceeding of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems, pp. 1675–1684). New York: ACM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine, M., Marchon, I., & Hanley, G. (1984). The placement and misplacement of you-are-here maps. Environment and Behavior, 16(2), 139–157. doi:10.1177/0013916584162001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, S. C. (1996). Frames of reference and Molyneux’s question: Cross-linguistic evidence. In P. Bloom, M. A. Peterson, L. Nadel, & M. F. Garrett (Eds.), Language and space (pp. 109–169). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liben, L. S., & Downs, R. M. (1993). Understanding person-space-map relations: Cartographic and developmental perspectives. Developmental Psychology, 29(4), 739–752. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0012-1649.29.4.739.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacEachren, A. M. (1995). How maps work: Representation, visualization, and design. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng, L., Zipf, A., & Winter, S. (Eds.). (2008). Map-based mobile services: Design, interaction and usability. Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montello, D. R. (1993). Scale and multiple psychologies of space. In A. U. Frank & I. Campari (Eds.), Spatial information theory (pp. 312–321). Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Münzer, S., Zimmer, H. D., Schwalm, M., Baus, J., & Aslan, I. (2006). Computer-assisted navigation and the acquisition of route and survey knowledge. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 26(4), 300–308. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.08.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council. (2006). Learning to think spatially. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newcombe, N. S. (2010). Increasing math and science learning by improving spatial thinking. American Educator, 34(2), 29–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parush, A., Ahuvia, S., & Erev, I. (2007). Degradation in spatial knowledge acquisition when using automatic navigation systems. In S. Winter, M. Duckham, L. Kulik, & B. Kuipers (Eds.), Spatial information theory (pp. 238–254). Berlin: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Péruch, P., Vercher, J.-L., & Gauthier, G. M. (1995). Acquisition of spatial knowledge through visual exploration of simulated environments. Ecological Psychology, 7(1), 1–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riegelsberger, J. (2013). User research at Google maps. Keynote speech at the 11th International Conference on Spatial Information Theory (COSIT 2013), Scarborough, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Streeter, L. A., Vitello, D., & Wonsiewicz, S. A. (1985). How to tell people where to go: Comparing navigational aids. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 22(5), 549–562. doi:10.1016/S0020-7373(85)80017-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takemiya, M., & Ishikawa, T. (2011). I can tell by the way you use your walk: Real-time classification of wayfinding performance. In M. Egenhofer, N. Giudice, R. Moratz, & M. Worboys (Eds.), Spatial information theory (pp. 90–109). Berlin: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Tobler, W. (1970). A computer movie simulating urban growth in the Detroit region. Economic Geography, 46(2), 234–240. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/143141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tolman, E. C. (1948). Cognitive maps in rats and men. Psychological Review, 55(4), 189–208. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0061626.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uttal, D. H., & Cohen, C. A. (2012). Spatial thinking and STEM education: When, why, and how? Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 57, 147–181. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-394293-7.00004-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willis, K. S., Hölscher, C., Wilbertz, G., & Li, C. (2009). A comparison of spatial knowledge acquisition with maps and mobile maps. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 33(2), 100–110. doi:10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2009.01.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies & Center for Spatial Information Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Toru Ishikawa Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Toru Ishikawa Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Toru Ishikawa Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ctr fr HealthPromotion&DiseasePrevention, Univ of North Carolina at Chapel Hi, CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina, USA

    Rebecca H. Hunter

  2. Division of Population Health, Cntrs for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Lynda A. Anderson

  3. Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Basia L. Belza

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ishikawa, T. (2016). Maps in the Head and Tools in the Hand: Wayfinding and Navigation in a Spatially Enabled Society. In: Hunter, R., Anderson, L., Belza, B. (eds) Community Wayfinding: Pathways to Understanding. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31072-5_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31072-5_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31070-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31072-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation