Abstract
Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation devices and applications have become ubiquitous over the last decade. However, it is unclear whether using GPS affects our own internal navigation system, or spatial memory, which critically relies on the hippocampus. We assessed the lifetime GPS experience of 50 regular drivers as well as various facets of spatial memory, including spatial memory strategy use, cognitive mapping, and landmark encoding using virtual navigation tasks. We first present cross-sectional results that show that people with greater lifetime GPS experience have worse spatial memory during self-guided navigation, i.e. when they are required to navigate without GPS. In a follow-up session, 13 participants were retested three years after initial testing. Although the longitudinal sample was small, we observed an important effect of GPS use over time, whereby greater GPS use since initial testing was associated with a steeper decline in hippocampal-dependent spatial memory. Importantly, we found that those who used GPS more did not do so because they felt they had a poor sense of direction, suggesting that extensive GPS use led to a decline in spatial memory rather than the other way around. These findings are significant in the context of society’s increasing reliance on GPS.
Highlights
Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation devices and applications have become ubiquitous over the last decade
We identify four broad categories of variables: learning, navigation strategy use (CSDLT first probe trial, both probe trials combined, flexibility/rigidity as measured by the second probe trial of the Concurrent spatial discrimination learning task (CSDLT), 4-on-8 Virtual Maze (4/8 VM) navigation strategy score), cognitive mapping (4/8 VM map drawing), and landmark encoding and reliance (4/8 VM probe errors, average number of landmarks used, and number of landmarks noticed)
We hypothesized that people with greater GPS habits would use spatial memory strategies to a lesser extent and that they would show poorer spatial memory when they are required to find their way in an environment that they have experienced without GPS
Summary
Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation devices and applications have become ubiquitous over the last decade. Our tasks allow us to measure several facets of navigation, including the extent of navigation strategy use (people can use the same strategy but rely on it to different extents), learning (how quickly people learn about a new environment), cognitive mapping, landmark encoding and reliance, and flexibility/rigidity. Study, we sought to determine whether individuals with greater GPS habits rely more on stimulus-response strategies and less on spatial memory strategies when they are required to navigate without GPS, and whether they have poorer cognitive mapping abilities and landmark encoding. We performed a three-year follow-up in which we retested a small subset of participants This longitudinal session served to investigate whether GPS use has a negative impact on the various spatial memory facets over time
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
