The effects of visual realism, spatial abilities, and competition on performance in map-based route learning in men

Abstract

We report on how visual realism might influence map-based route learning performance in a controlled laboratory experiment with 104 male participants in a competitive context. Using animations of a dot moving through routes of interest, we find that participants recall the routes more accurately with abstract road maps than with more realistic satellite maps. We also find that, irrespective of visual realism, participants with higher spatial abilities (high-spatial participants) are more accurate in memorizing map-based routes than participants with lower spatial abilities (low-spatial participants).On the other hand, added visual realism limits high-spatial participants in their route recall speed, while it seems not to influence the recall speed of low-spatial participants.Competition affects participants' overall confidence positively, but does not affect their route recall performance neither in terms of accuracy nor speed. With this study, we provide further empirical evidence demonstrating that it is important to choose the appropriate map type considering task characteristics and spatial abilities. While satellite maps might be perceived as more fun to use, or visually more attractive than road maps, they also require more cognitive resources for many map-based tasks, which is true even for high-spatial users.

The role of visuospatial abilities in memorizing animations among soccer players

“…On the one hand, the ability-as-enhancer hypothesis (Brucker et al, 2014;Hegarty, 2005;Hegarty & Sims, 1994;Huk, 2006) states that individuals with high visuospatial abilities (HSA) are better equipped to handle dynamic visualizations (e.g. animation, video) because they possess more cognitive and attentional resources to support learning from these complex presentations (Çöltekin, Francelet, Richter, Thoresen, & Fabrikant, 2018). Previous studies such as Mayer and Sims (1994) have examined the effect of VSA on multimedia learning and found that VSA impact the understanding of dynamic phenomena.…”

Effectiveness of Memorizing an Animated Route—Comparing Satellite and Road Map Differences in the Eye-Tracking Study

“…They all had a similar level of visual complexity, road density, and included urbanized areas. The method of assessing these factors is similar to Çöltekin et al's [17] research. Complete unification of maps was not possible; however, the author believes that the content, level of route difficulty (in terms of turns and dot speed), and the constant scale were controlled across all stimuli.…”

“…However, there is less research on the effectiveness of these maps. Çöltekin et al [17] found that more abstract road maps are more effective in the process of memorizing the route by men than those using a satellite background. They also determined the impact of spatial abilities on memorizing the route and found that people who described their spatial abilities as high (in mental rotation task) performed slower with satellite images.…”

“…This value corresponds to the values indicated in the research by Cybulski and Wielebski [45] regarding the effective duration of cartographic animations, which was defined between 8 and 11 s for 1 dynamic stimulus. Moreover, in similar research on memorizing the animated route, Çöltekin et al [17], in one of their tasks, used 8.4 s of animation. For displaying stimuli, the study used a 15.6-inch laptop with an LCD screen and pixel resolution 1920 × 1080 in controlled lab conditions.…”

“…However, some animated maps may still be more effective than others. More abstract maps support route remembering much more than those having many details [17]. Satellite photographs are more detailed than abstract images and might lead to cognitive overload [18].…”