Memory effects of visual and olfactory landmark information in human wayfinding.

ABSTRACT: Non-human animals are exceptionally good at using smell to find their way through the environment. However, the use of olfactory cues for human navigation is often underestimated. Although the sense of smell is well-known for its distinct connection to memory and emotion, memory effects in human navigation using olfactory landmarks have not been studied yet. Therefore, this article compares wayfinding and recognition performance for visual and olfactory landmarks learned by 52 participants in a virtual maze. Furthermore, it is one of the first empirical studies investigating differences in memory effects on human navigation by using two separate test situations 1 month apart. The experimental task was to find the way through a maze-like virtual environment with either olfactory or visual c

SUBMITTER: Schwarz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10827900 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature