A tangible user interface for assessing cognitive mapping ability

TL;DR

This paper introduces the Cognitive Map Probe (CMP), a tangible user interface tool designed to assess cognitive mapping ability more consistently and flexibly, with promising improvements over existing methods.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel tangible user interface for cognitive mapping assessment, enhancing accuracy, accessibility, and sensitivity compared to traditional techniques.

Findings

CMP is sensitive to factors affecting cognitive mapping performance

The tool improves consistency and flexibility in assessment

Experimental testing validates CMP's effectiveness

Abstract

Wayfinding, the ability to recall the environment and navigate through it, is an essential cognitive skill relied upon almost every day in a person's life. A crucial component of wayfinding is the construction of cognitive maps, mental representations of the environments through which a person travels. Age, disease or injury can severely affect cognitive mapping, making assessment of this basic survival skill particularly important to clinicians and therapists. Cognitive mapping has also been the focus of decades of basic research by cognitive psychologists. Both communities have evolved a number of techniques for assessing cognitive mapping ability. We present the Cognitive Map Probe (CMP), a new computerized tool for assessment of cognitive mapping ability that increases consistency and promises improvements in flexibility, accessibility, sensitivity and control. The CMP uses a tangible user interface that affords spatial manipulation. We describe the design of the CMP, and find that it is sensitive to factors known to affect cognitive mapping performance in extensive experimental testing.