Children between the ages of 4 - 16 years were tested for a sense of direction using the 'chair experiment'. Results revealed that a sense of direction was present in older children. However. the relationship between the development of a sense of direction and age appeared more complex than originally thought. Children under 11 years of age were unable to judge direction significantly in the chair experiment. It was suggested that this inability could be related to anatomical andlor perceptual constraints. Sex differences in ability were analysed. Although both males and females could significantly judge direction, female orientation was significantlY better than that exhibited by males. Analysis of the patterns of performance during the test revealed that male success was apparently due to an ability to follow the turning of the chair. with only the first estimate exhibiting significant ability. Females. although they probably followed the turning of the chair initially, showed a second peak of significant ability in the latter estimates. Whilst wearing a magnet. this second peak was not observed. Magnetic manipulations carried out on females aged between 11 - 18 years revealed that their ability to judge direction was based on an ability to use the earth's magnetic field to judge direction. However. this relationship was not straightforward. Both the polarity of the magnet and the bed orientation of the subject had an affect on ability to judge direction. Bus experiments were also used to test for a sense of direction. Subjects were aged between 16 - 20 years. Half the subjects were blindfolded and half were sighted. Results revealed that feBBles, whether blindfolded or sighted, relied on the earth's magnetic field when judging direction and exhibited disruption of ability whilst wearing a magnet. Kales apparently required sight and an unaltered magnetic field to judge direction. Thus, if sighted and wearing a magnet, or if blindfolded and in an unaltered magnetic field, males were unable to judge direction. Although male ability in the chair experiment did not seem to be based on an ability to use the earth's magnetic field to judge direction, the bus experiments suggested that magnetism was involved in their ability and this required further investigation.

Understanding human spatial cognition and behaviour is not something easily studied. Many factors are involved that contribute in different ways for different individuals. Navigation and wayfinding have been used as an approach, or starting point, for such studies. Spatial abilities tests have long been used as reference points to generalize to overt navigational behaviour. Care needs to be taken in generalizing from paper to behaviour to make certain that it is a valid relationship exists.<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which certain psychometric spatial abilities tests are indicators of actual navigational decision making. The study was conducted in two phases. The navigational decision tasks were made up of four paths with two variables: length and number of turns. The participants were required to make a decision on which direction to go after being lead part of the way around a hallway. The choices were to either go back the way they were led or take a novel route along a previously un-travelled path (shortcut). Spatial abilities tests (MRT, PFT, and OLMT), a self-rating of SOD, and learning preference for novel environments were administered in phase two. <p>While efficient navigation was not explicitly required in the navigation tasks those participants making the most efficient decisions shared similar characteristics. Efficient navigators have a higher aptitude for mental manipulation (as measured by the MRT), express a preference for a more exploratory environmental learning style, are disproportionately male, and have a slightly higher self-rating of SOD. In addition to the collective set of four navigation decisions (one for each experimental path), path 2 demonstrated the efficient vs. non-efficient distinction quite well: in order to make the most efficient decision the individual must maintain the correct metric distance from the origin point and not be deterred by the passage of only half of the turns in the rectangular experimental environment.

Understanding human spatial cognition and behaviour is not something easily studied. Many factors are involved that contribute in different ways for different individuals. Navigation and wayfinding have been used as an approach, or starting point, for such studies. Spatial abilities tests have long been used as reference points to generalize to overt navigational behaviour. Care needs to be taken in generalizing from paper to behaviour to make certain that it is a valid relationship exists.<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which certain psychometric spatial abilities tests are indicators of actual navigational decision making. The study was conducted in two phases. The navigational decision tasks were made up of four paths with two variables: length and number of turns. The participants were required to make a decision on which direction to go after being lead part of the way around a hallway. The choices were to either go back the way they were led or take a novel route along a previously un-travelled path (shortcut). Spatial abilities tests (MRT, PFT, and OLMT), a self-rating of SOD, and learning preference for novel environments were administered in phase two. <p>While efficient navigation was not explicitly required in the navigation tasks those participants making the most efficient decisions shared similar characteristics. Efficient navigators have a higher aptitude for mental manipulation (as measured by the MRT), express a preference for a more exploratory environmental learning style, are disproportionately male, and have a slightly higher self-rating of SOD. In addition to the collective set of four navigation decisions (one for each experimental path), path 2 demonstrated the efficient vs. non-efficient distinction quite well: in order to make the most efficient decision the individual must maintain the correct metric distance from the origin point and not be deterred by the passage of only half of the turns in the rectangular experimental environment.

Prior research about wayfinding has found that females tend to employ a single strategy based on landmarks, where males are more versatile, using a dual strategy of landmarks and global orientation information such as cardinal directions (Lawton, 2010). It was proposed that this difference occurs due to males’ better sense of direction, which would deliver more trustworthy indications of current heading. Since males’ versatility has often been linked with better navigation performance (for example Sandstrom, Kaufman, & Huettel, 1998; Saucier et al., 2002) this study sought to contribute to the growing body of literature on methods of training to increase sense of direction (such as Hund and Minarik, 2006; Hund & Nazarczuk, 2009). An experimental procedure was used to investigate the possibility that the provision of reliable cardinal direction heading updates to participants would lead to a dual strategy for orientation in those that usually use a single strategy based on landmarks. This was done in an urban navigation context, with the main dependent variable being level of recall for route structure. Using the Santa Barbara Sense of Direction Scale, the study revealed that males had a higher self-reported sense of direction than females. / Additionally, no sex differences in performance were found on the route structure recall tasks. Rather than being due to females’ use of a dual wayfinding strategy, however, this was interpreted as an artefact of the use of a video in the procedure, which involved watching someone else navigating along a route. This is supported by another finding, that conditions containing cardinal directions or landmark spatial references did not produce higher route structure recall than the control condition. Since the procedure did not require participants to navigate through a real, or virtual, environment, it may not have been perceived as a disorientation threat. Due to this, they may not have employed wayfinding strategies, accounting for the poor influence of the spatial reference conditions and the lack of sex difference. The study is therefore viewed as an ideal candidate for replication by future investigators, who may wish to compare performance using a task where participants are required to deploy wayfinding strategies.

The present study aims to predict which individual factors may influence strategy-choices in wayfinding situations, specifically when participants are faced with ambiguous instructions in unfamiliar environments. Individual differences were measured with self-report forms of the Big Five personality traits and the Santa Barbara sense of direction scale (SBSOD). The study was conducted in a web-based survey format with a n=104 (65 female, and 39 male). A regression analysis concluded that the trait conscientiousness was the only factor that had predictive value in determining choice of strategy. SBSOD had some predictive values towards strategy-choice, but needs further investigation before any general conclusion can be drawn. Future studies should focus on a more goal-oriented task with more realistic stimulus. / Föreliggande studie har undersökt vilka individuella faktorer som kan påverka val av strategi i olika navigations-scenarion, specifikt när deltagare möts av oklara instruktioner i obekanta miljöer. Individuella skillnader mättes med själv-utvärdering av Big Five personlighetsdrag och Santa Barbara sense of direction scale (SBSOD). Studien utfördes i ett web-baserat enkätformat med ett deltagarantal på totalt 104 (65 kvinnor och 39 män). En regressionsanalys fastslog att personlighetsdraget samvetsgrannhet var den enda faktorn som kunde predicera strategival. SBSOD hade viss produktionskraft mot strategival, med detta behöver utforskas mer innan några generella slutsatser kan dras. Framtida studier bör fokusera på en mer målinriktad uppgift med mer naturtrogna stimuli.

A quantitative research study was conducted with teenagers attending Bandina Christian Youth Camp for one week in the summer of 2008. Students were divided into two groups; a control group and an intervention group. All participants were given a Self- Reflective Survey immediately prior to and following the week of summer camp. In addition to the pre- and post- Self-Reflective Surveys, the intervention group was required to complete Gallup's StrengthsQuest assessment (to determine his/her five greatest strengths) and e-mail those findings to this researcher before the first camp session. Once at camp, the intervention group participated in a five day Faith Based Strengths Training class one hour a day. The intervention group recognized and identified all 34 strengths, learned the uniqueness of his/her top five strengths, identified and related to famous individuals and their strengths and explored optimal career fields that best correlated to the participants' top five strengths. Strengths Training proved to be an effective tool in changing the intervention group's self confidence, sense of direction and his or her personal desire to learn more about Strengths collectively with a .03 p at an alpha level of .05. Youth based national organizations such as Boys & Girls Club, Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and others could greatly enhance their programs by incorporating Strengths Training into their curriculum, as Strengths Training builds on the development of core values, positive self image and character development that all of these national organizations strive to provide the youth of today. The summer camp experience offers a distinct opportunity for learning and exploration. This unique educational atmosphere sets up a positive cognitive environment where youth are typically more receptive to learning new concepts and ideas. The intervention group outcomes for this quantitative research study resulted in a positive outcome with only five hours of training. This infers a positive impact to not only the Y generation, but future generations to come and raises the need for more research in how these youth based national organizations can not only implement Strengths Training into their existing programs but network Strengths Training.

The present study aims to predict which individual factors may influence strategy-choices in wayfinding situations, specifically when participants are faced with ambiguous instructions in unfamiliar environments. Individual differences were measured with self-report forms of the Big Five personality traits and the Santa Barbara sense of direction scale (SBSOD). The study was conducted in a web-based survey format with a n=104 (65 female, and 39 male). A regression analysis concluded that the trait conscientiousness was the only factor that had predictive value in determining choice of strategy. SBSOD had some predictive values towards strategy-choice, but needs further investigation before any general conclusion can be drawn. Future studies should focus on a more goal‑oriented task with more realistic stimulus.

Det finns individuella skillnader i människors medvetenhet om var de befinner sig och om hur deras omgivningar ser ut, särskilt efter att de har förflyttat sig. För att beskriva detta används allmänt begreppet lokalsinne, som kan definieras: ”förmågan att orientera sig och hitta rätt”. Studiens syfte var att undersöka om det finns samband mellan hur människor skattar sitt lokalsinne och deras faktiska förmåga att bearbeta visuell information. Trettiosju deltagare genomförde självskattning av lokalsinne, ett test som mätte kapacitet i visuo-spatialt arbetsminne och ett test som mätte mental rotationsförmåga. Resultaten från studien visar att mental rotationsförmåga har samband med i självskattat lokalsinne och kapaciteten i visuo-spatialt arbetsminne. Av det här drogs slutsatsen att mental rotationsförmåga är en integrerad del av individers navigationsförmåga. / There are individual differences in people's awareness of where they are and what their surroundings look like, especially after they have physically moved around in their surroundings.To describe this, the concept sense of direction is generally used, which can be defined as: "the ability to orient oneself and find the right way". The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between how people estimate their sense of location and their actual ability to process visual information. Thirty-seven participants completed self-assessment of local sense, a test measuring capacity in visuo-spatial working memory and a test measuring mental rotation ability. The results of the study show that mental rotation ability is related to self-rated local sense and visuo-spatial working memory capacity. From this it was concluded that mental rotation ability is an integral part of individuals' navigation ability.