Human wayfinding: Integration of mind and body

Abstract

Understanding how people learn about places and find their way through them is basic to conceptualizing wayfinding and to effectively responding to informational needs through community design, wayfinding support systems, and wayfinding tools. This chapter, written primarily from a psychological perspective, addresses the conjoined cognitive and sensorimotor demands of wayfinding, environmental knowledge acquisition as it occurs not only in the mind but also kinesthetically as people move through the environment, and strategies for reducing cognitive load in navigating, learning, and remembering one’s way. The author presents the research base pertaining to commonalities across populations as well as individual differences, including factors that affect wayfinding performance. Discussed also are challenges that wayfinding presents to vulnerable populations, including children, older adults, and people with cognitive or visual impairment, along with strategies that allow for compensation. The author summarizes the strengths and limitations of the research base in human wayfinding and concludes with recommendations for future research in this area.