Effects of early mobility on shortcut performance in a simulated maze.

This experiment compared the shortcut choices of able-bodied teenagers with those of physically disabled teenagers who had varying histories of mobility impairment. In a computer-simulated kite-shaped maze, participants were allowed to explore three arms that connected four rooms. Subsequently they were offered a choice between paths connecting two rooms, one of which was a novel shortcut. Disabled teenagers chose correctly on fewer occasions than their able-bodied counterparts. Despite equivalent current levels of mobility, disabled participants whose mobility was more limited early in development were poorer at the task than those whose mobility had deteriorated with age. The results suggest that early independent exploration is important in the development of spatial knowledge, and suggest that the detrimental effects of limited early exploratory experience may persist into the teenage years.