Qi Y, Mou W, Lei X. Cue combination in goal-oriented navigation.
Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2021;
74:1981-2001. [PMID:
33885351 PMCID:
PMC8902265 DOI:
10.1177/17470218211015796]
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Abstract
This study examined cue combination of self-motion and landmark cues in
goal-localisation. In an immersive virtual environment, before walking a two-leg
path, participants learned the locations of three goal objects (one at the path
origin, that is, home) and landmarks. After walking the path without seeing
landmarks or goals, participants indicated the locations of the home and
non-home goals in four conditions: (1) path integration only, (2) landmarks
only, (3) both path integration and the landmarks, and (4) path integration and
rotated landmarks. The ratio of the length between the testing position (P) and
the turning point (T) over the length between the T and the three goals (G)
(i.e., PT/TG) was manipulated. The results showed the cue combination
consistently for participants’ heading estimates but not for goal-localisation.
In Experiments 1 and 2 (using distal landmarks), the cue combination for goal
estimates appeared in a small length ratio (PT/TG = 0.5) but disappeared in a
large length ratio (PT/TG = 2). In Experiments 3 and 4 (using proximal
landmarks), while the cue combination disappeared for the home with a medium
length ratio (PT/TG = 1), it appeared for the non-home goal with a large length
ratio (PT/TG = 2) and only disappeared with a very large length ratio
(PT/TG = 3). These findings are explained by a model stipulating that cue
combination occurs in self-localisation (e.g., heading estimates), which leads
to one estimate of the goal location; proximal landmarks produce another goal
location estimate; these two goal estimates are then combined, which may only
occur for non-home goals.
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