The Impact of Landmarks on Maze Navigation

Study on Eye Movements in Maze Navigation

Hamid et al. (2010) conducted a study where participants were tasked with navigating a maze while their eye movements were recorded. The maze was designed with landmarks placed on the walls at corners and other positions that were not intended to assist in maze navigation. Once the participants became familiar with the maze, half of the landmarks were removed for further observation.

Research Results

The results of the study indicated that the participants' performance decreased when the landmarks that had been viewed longer were removed. Even though these landmarks did not directly aid in navigating the maze, participants seemed to rely on them for other purposes such as recognizing previously visited locations or decision-making at maze junctions.

Explanation

The decrease in performance can be attributed to the participants' reliance on certain landmarks for non-navigational purposes. Removing these familiar cues disrupted their cognitive mapping and recognition within the maze, leading to confusion and a decline in efficiency. It highlights the importance of both visual and cognitive cues in spatial orientation and memory tasks.

Hamid et al.'s study revealed that when landmarks were removed, what was the impact on participants' performance?

The results of this study revealed that performance decreased when landmarks were removed that has been viewed longer.