Does the visibility of destination matter for navigation?

Architects have long debated whether visual contact or Euclidean distance is more crucial for navigational decisions in large spaces, such as hospitals. In literature on navigation, emphasis has traditionally been on landmarks, assuming their navigational value lies in familiarity with the built environment and the constructed cognitive map. Individuals' subjective experiences, such as their familiarity with their surroundings, their personal preferences, and even their cultural background, can all have an impact on how they move through space. However, it remains unknown what spatial parameters can alter the navigational decision. The study aims to assess whether visibility or Euclidean distance holds greater importance in navigational decisions, building on hypotheses from previous work. Using Virtual Reality, we performed a navigation task in a uniform, maze-like environment, where the participants located two spheres in space. We find that participants predominantly base their navigational decisions on distance rather than visibility, favoring shorter distances even when both visible and invisible destinations are presented. Our findings challenge existing studies, revealing a new avenue for understanding the interplay between spatial layout, the embodied self, and their impact on cognitive processes. The divergence from prior research highlights the necessity for a nuanced examination of spatial configurations and the active, embodied experience in shaping human cognition.