Errors in everyday routefinding: A classification of types and possible causes

A diary study is reported in which volunteers kept records of naturally occurring lapses in the efficiency of everyday travel throughout the environment. Forty‐nine volunteers kept structured diaries over a 4‐week period, in which they supplied a free written description of each error, its possible cause and other standardized information relating to the error. The resulting data were classified into nine distinct categories of error, which occurred with varying degrees of frequency, and which ranged from wrong turnings to return route problems. The proposed causes of errors were then classified independently, resulting in five categories, which can be described under two major headings: environmental causes and cognitive causes. Finally, the error types and their causes were mapped together to provide an overall indication of their distribution. The data provide a descriptive classification of naturally occurring errors in routefinding, along with possible causes. The findings are consistent with the general finding within the cognitive mapping literature that humans possess a heuristic representation of the environment that mostly allows for efficient navigation, and that errors are more likely to occur through inattention or environmental factors rather than deficiencies within the cognitive map itself.