Mapping the path: The role of age in wayfinding development
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Laura Lakusta
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
25-4-2025 9:59 AM
Description
Wayfinding, the ability to navigate to a destination without explicit directions, includes landmark, route, and survey knowledge (Kim & Bock, 2021). Landmark knowledge develops first, followed by route, then survey knowledge. This study investigates the effect of age on these three types of spatial knowledge in children aged 6-10, addressing gaps in prior research that focused on fewer aspects of wayfinding. Participants included 61 children (M age = 7.89, SD age = 1.4; 49.3% male) assessed using a real-life wayfinding task. Participants navigated a route on a college campus, recalling landmarks, retracing steps, and identifying their position using maps and spatial cues. Regression analyses examined the effect of age on wayfinding outcomes across landmark, route, and survey knowledge. Older children recalled more landmarks (F (1, 59) = 4.16, p = 0.046) and performed better on route tasks (F (1, 58) = 5.66, p = 0.021) and point-to-start tasks (F (1, 59) = 7.56, p = 0.008). Age did not significantly predict map recognition (F (1, 59) = 0.51, p = 0.476). Younger children’s challenges with map-based tasks suggest a need for further development of abstract spatial processing. Findings suggest that children’s wayfinding skills improve with age, especially in landmark and route knowledge, while survey knowledge remains more difficult. These results contribute to understanding how wayfinding develops in children.
Mapping the path: The role of age in wayfinding development
Wayfinding, the ability to navigate to a destination without explicit directions, includes landmark, route, and survey knowledge (Kim & Bock, 2021). Landmark knowledge develops first, followed by route, then survey knowledge. This study investigates the effect of age on these three types of spatial knowledge in children aged 6-10, addressing gaps in prior research that focused on fewer aspects of wayfinding. Participants included 61 children (M age = 7.89, SD age = 1.4; 49.3% male) assessed using a real-life wayfinding task. Participants navigated a route on a college campus, recalling landmarks, retracing steps, and identifying their position using maps and spatial cues. Regression analyses examined the effect of age on wayfinding outcomes across landmark, route, and survey knowledge. Older children recalled more landmarks (F (1, 59) = 4.16, p = 0.046) and performed better on route tasks (F (1, 58) = 5.66, p = 0.021) and point-to-start tasks (F (1, 59) = 7.56, p = 0.008). Age did not significantly predict map recognition (F (1, 59) = 0.51, p = 0.476). Younger children’s challenges with map-based tasks suggest a need for further development of abstract spatial processing. Findings suggest that children’s wayfinding skills improve with age, especially in landmark and route knowledge, while survey knowledge remains more difficult. These results contribute to understanding how wayfinding develops in children.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.