Wayfinding with the Use of Tactile Maps: Egocentric and Allocentric Representations in Navigation

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of egocentric and allocentric tactile map representations on navigation tasks, specifically route repetition and retracing. It also explores how perceived navigational ability, assessed via the Santa Barbara Sense of Direction (SBSOD) questionnaire, influences task performance. Sixteen participants, aged 21–27, explored tactile maps through haptic exploration while blindfolded and then navigated corresponding virtual mazes. Two hypotheses were tested: (H1) that congruency between egocentric maps and route repetition would lead to faster navigation and fewer errors, and (H2) that incongruency between egocentric maps and retracing tasks would result in slower navigation and more errors. Results supported both hypotheses. Route repetition tasks were completed faster and with fewer errors than retracing tasks, and participants with higher SBSOD scores demonstrated better performance, particularly under the allocentric map with repetition condition. These findings highlight the cross-modal transfer of spatial information and underscore the importance of map-task congruency in navigation success.