Landmark Selection in the Environment: Relationships with Object Characteristics and Sense of Direction

This study examined the types and locations of objects selected as landmarks by people walking unfamiliar routes, and the effects of people's sense of direction. Selected landmarks comprised various types of objects, including buildings, signage, street furniture, or trees, and were located at intersections and nonintersections depending on the structures of routes. People with a better sense of direction tended to select fewer landmarks, focusing on commonly recognized landmarks. For buildings, the physical properties of facade area, color saturation, and age-affected selection frequencies, but different effects of physical properties were observed for individual routes, indicating the importance of context.