Finding the shortest path in a familiar environment: A comparison between describing and walking a path after accounting for the role of individual factors

Finding the shortest path to a destination is a refined navigation ability little explored as yet in familiar environments. The present study examined this ability when walking or describing the path, and how performance relates to individual differences. Sixty-seven undergraduates familiar with the area around their campus were asked to find the shortest path to a destination by walking there or describing it in writing. Several visuospatial...