Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634-1355, USA.
Hum Factors. 2012 Aug;54(4):589-99. doi: 10.1177/0018720812439413.
The aim of this study was to determine how strongly the performance of navigation tasks is affected by changing electronic map interfaces and by individual differences in spatial ability.
Electronic map interfaces have two common configurations, north up and track up. Research suggests that north-up maps benefit some navigational tasks and track-up maps benefit others. However, little research has investigated how map configuration affects the important navigation task of judging cardinal direction or how individual differences in spatial ability interact with map configuration in affecting navigation performance.
In an aerial reconnaissance task, 16 participants completed route-following, cardinal direction, and map reconstruction tasks. Participants also completed three spatial ability tests.
The track-up map led to better performance on the cardinal direction and route-following tasks. The north-up map led to better performance on the map reconstruction task Effects of map configuration showed small to medium effect sizes. Spatial ability correlated positively with performance of each navigation task, showing medium to large effect sizes. For some tasks, a helpful map interface compensated for low ability. For other tasks, ability facilitated the performance of the helpful interface;optimal performance required a helpful interface and high ability.
Achieving high performance at particular navigation subtasks requires two things: using the map configuration that optimizes subtask performance and having high spatial ability.
Some aspects of navigation performance can be improved primarily by using the optimal map configuration; other aspects require using the optimal configuration and having better spatial ability.
本研究旨在确定导航任务的执行情况受电子地图界面变化和空间能力个体差异的影响程度。
电子地图界面有两种常见的配置，即北方向上和轨迹向上。研究表明，北方向上的地图有利于某些导航任务，而轨迹向上的地图则有利于其他任务。然而，很少有研究调查地图配置如何影响判断方位的重要导航任务，或者空间能力个体差异如何与地图配置相互作用影响导航性能。
在一项空中侦察任务中，16 名参与者完成了路线跟随、方位判断和地图重建任务。参与者还完成了三项空间能力测试。
轨迹向上的地图在方位判断和路线跟随任务上表现更好。北方向上的地图在地图重建任务上表现更好。地图配置的影响呈现出小到中等的效应大小。空间能力与每项导航任务的表现呈正相关，呈现出中到大的效应大小。对于某些任务，有助于导航的地图界面可以弥补能力的不足。对于其他任务，能力则促进了有助于导航的界面的表现；最佳表现需要有助于导航的界面和高能力。
在特定的导航子任务中实现高绩效需要两件事：使用最优化子任务表现的地图配置和具备高空间能力。
一些导航性能的方面可以主要通过使用最佳地图配置来提高；其他方面则需要使用最佳配置和具备更好的空间能力。
