Finding the Way

Abstract

In anthropology, research on human spatial orientation (wayfinding) has centered on two conflicting theories: the "mental map," whereby humans build abstract cognitive representations of the spatial relations between objects, and "practical mastery," which rejects the idea that such abstract representations exist and, in its most developed form, suggests that wayfinding is a process of moving from one recognized visual perspective (vista) to another (transitions between vistas). In this paper we reveal, on the basis of existing psychology and geography research, that both wayfinding theories are in fact complementary: humans rely on mental maps but also memorize vistas while navigating, and an individual's navigation method, ability, and the form of the mental map is likely to depend on a situation as well as on factors such as age, sex, familiarity with the environment, and life history. We demonstrate (using research material obtained during fieldwork carried out among Komi and Nenets reindeer herders) that anthropology can contribute to human spatial cognitive research, which has traditionally been an interdisciplinary endeavor, by identifying differences in spatial representation between different people and peoples. However, future contributions can be achieved only if anthropologists accept that mental maps and route knowledge (as advocated by practical mastery) are part and parcel of spatial cognition.

Signage System for the Navigation of Autonomous Robots in Indoor Environments

“…The human process of orientation, searching, and following a way toward a specific goal, is a cognitive process extensively studied in fields such as psychology [1][2], anthropology [3], and geography [4]. This cognitive process is known by the term "Wayfinding".…”

The effect of egocentric and environmental cues on macro-reference frame selection

“…Similar effects were found in pointing error by Istomin and Dwyer (2009). Interviews with nomadic reindeer herders in northern Russia and Siberia demonstrated very precise pointing judgments to landmarks of the current grazing region and very high errors in pointing judgments to landmarks of a neighboring region.…”

“…The first spatial memory model proposes that no metric values are stored for crossgroup locations. This could explain why the reindeer herders interviewed by Istomin and Dwyer (2009) were incredibly accurate at making spatial judgments at any distance so long as the judgment did not cross any environmental boundaries. In this case, JRDs should not show facilitation for a particular orientation as no cross-group information is stored in memory.…”

The Impact of Street Properties on Cognitive Maps

“…Based on studies of Gell (1985), Istomin and Dawyer (2009) on way-finding and the genesis of Marshall's studies on street taxonomies (Marshall 2005), We argue that people encode the geometric structure of the built environment in their mind in places with well-defined patterns. For instance, streets designed with a clear pattern such as a grid or a star-shape can be better perceived compared to non-defined patterns.…”