Bayesian models of human navigation behaviour in an augmented reality audiomaze. (18th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shikauchi, Yumi; Miyakoshi, Makoto; Makeig, Scott; Iversen, John R.
• Other Names: De Sanctis Pierfilippo guestEditor.; Solis-Escalante Teodoro guestEditor.; Seeber Martin guestEditor.; Wagner Johanna guestEditor.; P.Ferris Daniel guestEditor.; Gramann Klaus guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: European journal of neuroscience. Volume 54:Number 12(2021)
• Page Start: 8308
• Page End: 8317
• Publication Date: 2020-12-18
• Subjects: allocentric navigator -- egocentric navigator -- map generation -- real‐space navigation; Nervous system -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15061
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-816X

Abstract

Abstract: We investigated Bayesian modelling of human whole‐body motion capture data recorded during an exploratory real‐space navigation task in an "A udiomaze " environment (see the companion paper by Miyakoshi et al. in the same volume) to study the effect of map learning on navigation behaviour. There were three models, a feedback‐only model (no map learning), a map resetting model (single‐trial limited map learning), and a map updating model (map learning accumulated across three trials). The estimated behavioural variables included step sizes and turning angles. Results showed that the estimated step sizes were constantly more accurate using the map learning models than the feedback‐only model. The same effect was confirmed for turning angle estimates, but only for data from the third trial. We interpreted these results as Bayesian evidence of human map learning on navigation behaviour. Furthermore, separating the participants into groups of egocentric and allocentric navigators revealed an advantage for the map updating model in estimating step sizes, but only for the allocentric navigators. This interaction indicated that the allocentric navigators may take more advantage of map learning than do egocentric navigators. We discuss relationships of these results to simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem. Abstract : Splitting the participants into two subgroups, one for allocentric navigators and the other for egocentric navigators, showed a similar advantage of the map‐based models over the feedback‐only model in both groups. In the allocentric navigators only, there was a further advantage of the map updating model over the map resetting model. The observation that the map learning (map‐updating) model best fit the allocentric navigator behavior is consistent with the idea that allocentric navigators may have been better in exploring the maze based on the mental maps they built, and this advantage may be further reinforced by repeating the navigation.