Sense of direction

Sense of direction is the ability to know one's location and perform wayfinding.[1][2] It is related to cognitive maps, spatial awareness, and spatial cognition.[3] Sense of direction can be impaired by brain damage, such as in the case of topographical disorientation.

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Humans create spatial maps whenever they go somewhere. Neurons called place cells inside the hippocampus fire individually while a person makes their way through an environment. This was first discovered in rats, when the neurons of the hippocampus were recorded. Certain neurons fired whenever the rat was in a certain area of its environment. These neurons form a grid when they are all put together on the same plane.

Santa Barbara Sense-of-Direction Scale

Sense of direction can be measured with the Santa Barbara Sense-of-Direction Scale,[4] a self-assessed psychometric test designed in 2002.[5] This scale has been used to study sense of direction in many contexts, such as driving.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Definition of "sense of direction" | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
  2. Cornell, Edward H.; Sorenson, Autumn; Mio, Teresa (2003-06-01). "Human Sense of Direction and Wayfinding". Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 93 (2): 399–425. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.537.3384. doi:10.1111/1467-8306.9302009. ISSN 0004-5608. S2CID 53704345.
  3. Kozlowski; Bryant (1977). "Sense of direction, spatial orientation, and cognitive maps". Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
  4. Hegarty, Mary; Richardson, Anthony E; Montello, Daniel R; Lovelace, Kristin; Subbiah, Ilavanil (2002-09-01). "Development of a self-report measure of environmental spatial ability". Intelligence. 30 (5): 425–447. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.167.8548. doi:10.1016/S0160-2896(02)00116-2.
  5. "Santa Barbara Sense-of-Direction Scale | Hegarty Spatial Thinking Lab | Psychological & Brain Sciences | UC Santa Barbara". labs.psych.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
  6. Turano, Kathleen A.; Munoz, Beatriz; Hassan, Shirin E.; Duncan, Donald D.; Gower, Emily W.; Roche, Karen B.; Keay, Lisa; Munro, Cynthia A.; West, Sheila K. (2009-05-01). "Poor Sense of Direction Is Associated With Constricted Driving Space in Older Drivers". The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 64B (3): 348–355. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbp017. ISSN 1079-5014. PMC 2670254. PMID 19359596.


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