When to Look at Maps in Navigation: Metacognitive Control in Environment Learning.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Environment learning is usually achieved through direct experience with an environment and/or through map study. Further, research suggests that different perspectives taken while learning an environment influence the type of knowledge acquired. After all, route (e.g. by navigation) and survey (e.g. by map study) perspectives emphasize different environment information. The choice between direct experience and map use, or between route and survey perspectives, suggests a role of metacognitive control. That is, when in a new environment, learners may exercise metacognitive control by selectively choosing and implementing specific strategies, such as primarily focusing on one perspective over the other or switching between perspectives. While metacognitive control may be crucial for real-world environment learning and navigation, research on metacognitive control in environment learning is largely absent. To fill in the gap in the literature, this dissertation explores, in a series of 3 experiments, how people implement metacognitive control in environment learning, and how metacognitive control affects the learning of environments. Results of this dissertation suggest that participants exercise control during environment learning by switching between different spatial perspectives and gather different spatial information. Findings from Experiment 1 and 2 indicated that people may use different strategies when metacognitive control was implicit (in the form of eye movements) versus explicit (deliberately pressing a key). Experiment 3 examined the effectiveness of control as well as the strategies chosen, and found that the strategy used under explicit control was more effective among the two. Such explorations provide important and useful insights into how people study environments. Further, the type of strategies used when learning the environment have implications for navigational aids design and facilitation of real-world environment learning.