The Effects of Age, Spatial Ability, and Navigational Information on Navigational Performance

Federal Highway Administration1995PDFResearch PaperWochlnger, K.Boehm-Davis, D.United States. Federal Highway AdministrationUnited States. Joint Program Office for Intelligent Transportation SystemsUnited StatesAged driversField testsHuman factorsAdvanced traveler information systemsNavigation systemsNavigational aidsMap readingRoute guidanceATISIn vehicle route guidanceOlder driversSpatial abilityFHWA-RD-95-166The purpose of the study reported here was to examine whether age and spatial ability are factors that influence a driver's ability to navigate and to use navigational displays. These factors were examined because previous research suggests that spatial ability may underlie navigational performance, including route-following and map-reading,and that these skills may diminish with age. Thus, older drivers and drivers with weak navigational skills, may have a heightened need for, and be particularly served by, in-vehicle route guidance displays found in Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS). A total of 56 drivers were tested on spatial ability. The drivers then performed a navigational task in a part-task driving simulator using different navigational aids, including: (1) text directions, (2) an enlarged, mounted paper map, (3) a standard-scale paper map, and (4) a turn-by-turn route guidance ATIS display. The major findings were that: (1) older drivers showed worse navigational performance than younger drivers, (2) the worse performance found in the older group was attributable to their lower spatial ability, (3) spatial ability predicted navigational performance, and (4) a simulated ATIS turn-by-turn display enhanced navigational performance. The implications of the results are that navigational ability declines with age due to decrements in spatial ability and perceptual speed, and ATIS route guidance has the potential to facilitate navigational performance in drivers of varying spatial abilities and age.96