misnavigation

Misnavigation is the failure to navigate to a planned destination or to follow an intended route, resulting in a detour, getting lost, or arriving at an unintended location. It arises when a person or system incorrectly interprets environmental cues, memories of a route, or navigational instructions.

Causes include cognitive load and attentional limits that impair map reading or route planning; perceptual ambiguities such as unclear landmarks or conflicting signage; memory errors in recalling paths; fatigue or distraction; and technological errors in navigation aids, such as outdated maps, GPS delays, or map-database errors. Environmental factors like road changes, poor lighting, or construction can also mislead travelers.

Mechanisms involve failures in forming or updating a cognitive map, reliance on incorrect frames of reference (eg, compass directions vs. local orientation), misinterpretation of maps or GPS prompts, and premature commitment to a wrong cue before reorientation. Misnavigation can occur when cues conflict (landmarks suggesting a different route than the GPS) or when navigation aids provide imprecise guidance.

Contexts include pedestrian, automotive, aviation, and maritime navigation, as well as wildlife studies of misplaced migratory routes. The consequences range from inefficiency and frustration to safety risks and increased travel time.

Prevention and mitigation emphasize planning and situational awareness, map-reading and wayfinding training, and redundancy in navigation cues (cross-checking GPS with maps and landmarks). Clear, updated signposting and adaptive routing in navigation devices can reduce misnavigation, as can design strategies that minimize cognitive load and ambiguity.