Can humans and animals really use internal maps to navigate and take shortcuts?

Tolman famously argued "yes" - based largely on his Sunburst maze experiment.

However, our new review & meta-analysis suggests the evidence is far weaker than you might think.
🧵👇 https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.70365
1/

#neuroESC #navigation #neuroscience #neuroethology #SpatialCognition #AnimalBehaviour #shortcutting #cognitivemap #tolman

Our paper on the poor replicability of Tolman, Richie & Kalish, 1946 - the famous "Sunburst maze" - is out!

Last author @rmgrieves made a very nice thread about it here:
https://fediscience.org/@rmgrieves/115844897663215766

The article: Tolman's Sunburst Maze 80 Years on: A Meta-Analysis Reveals Poor Replicability and Little Evidence for Shortcutting

I'll just add that this doesn't at all question the #CognitiveMap theory, which is quite strongly supported by diverse lines of evidence - but it shows that one of the elements previously used to support the theory, the ability to choose a shortcut over unexplored space, is not that clearly demonstrated!

Importantly, this also shows that it is crucial to consider papers in their context and to make sure results are consistently replicable before changing them into scientific facts!

PS: I managed to attract Roddy to Mastodon - it would be great to show him we can get at least as much interaction on here as with his similar thread on Bluesky

#SpatialCognition #Neuroscience #Shortcutting #Tolman #Sunburst #ReplicabilityCrisis

Hello Mastodon 👋

I study how brains navigate space - from 2D mazes to fully 3D environments. My focus is on hippocampal place cells, entorhinal grid cells, and head direction cells, combining behavior, electrophysiology, and computational models.

I’m here to share lab findings, discuss interesting papers, and explore how animals map and move through the world.

Occasionally, I’ll highlight moments when the brain does something unexpectedly clever (or confusing).

Excited to meet people in neuroscience and beyond. Always happy to chat about space, brains, or just interesting science in general. 🧠🌍

#neuroesc #navigation #neuroscience #neuroethology #introduction #SpatialCognition

Our paper on the poor replicability of Tolman, Richie & Kalish, 1946 - the famous "Sunburst maze" - is out!

Last author @rmgrieves made a very nice thread about it here:
https://fediscience.org/@rmgrieves/115844897663215766

The article: Tolman's Sunburst Maze 80 Years on: A Meta-Analysis Reveals Poor Replicability and Little Evidence for Shortcutting

I'll just add that this doesn't at all question the #CognitiveMap theory, which is quite strongly supported by diverse lines of evidence - but it shows that one of the elements previously used to support the theory, the ability to choose a shortcut over unexplored space, is not that clearly demonstrated!

Importantly, this also shows that it is crucial to consider papers in their context and to make sure results are consistently replicable before changing them into scientific facts!

PS: I managed to attract Roddy to Mastodon - it would be great to show him we can get at least as much interaction on here as with his similar thread on Bluesky

#SpatialCognition #Neuroscience #Shortcutting #Tolman #Sunburst #ReplicabilityCrisis

Can humans and animals really use internal maps to navigate and take shortcuts?

Tolman famously argued "yes" - based largely on his Sunburst maze experiment.

However, our new review & meta-analysis suggests the evidence is far weaker than you might think.
🧵👇 https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.70365
1/

#neuroESC #navigation #neuroscience #neuroethology #SpatialCognition #AnimalBehaviour #shortcutting #cognitivemap #tolman

Hello Mastodon 👋

I study how brains navigate space - from 2D mazes to fully 3D environments. My focus is on hippocampal place cells, entorhinal grid cells, and head direction cells, combining behavior, electrophysiology, and computational models.

I’m here to share lab findings, discuss interesting papers, and explore how animals map and move through the world.

Occasionally, I’ll highlight moments when the brain does something unexpectedly clever (or confusing).

Excited to meet people in neuroscience and beyond. Always happy to chat about space, brains, or just interesting science in general. 🧠🌍

#neuroesc #navigation #neuroscience #neuroethology #introduction #SpatialCognition

Very cool retrospective AND review of the hippocampal #SpatialCognition field from Neil Burgess:
Oscillations and Boundaries in My Route Through the Hippocampal Cognitive Map

Mentions @adredish @tom_hartley and many others, unfortunately not on Mastodon I think
#Neuroscience #PlaceCells #GridCells #Hippocampus #ThetaRhythm

Very cool retrospective AND review of the hippocampal #SpatialCognition field from Neil Burgess:
Oscillations and Boundaries in My Route Through the Hippocampal Cognitive Map

Mentions @adredish @tom_hartley and many others, unfortunately not on Mastodon I think
#Neuroscience #PlaceCells #GridCells #Hippocampus #ThetaRhythm

Paper resubmitted! ✅ 🤞It's a review about the #Tolman #Sunburst maze and how, despite many attempts, its results have not been consistently replicated (at all)... And no, the light is not really the problem!
I'll post a thread when / if it comes out!

Written with Roddy Grieves in the #NeuroESC lab!

#Neuroscience #SpatialCognition

Paper resubmitted! ✅ 🤞It's a review about the #Tolman #Sunburst maze and how, despite many attempts, its results have not been consistently replicated (at all)... And no, the light is not really the problem!
I'll post a thread when / if it comes out!

Written with Roddy Grieves in the #NeuroESC lab!

#Neuroscience #SpatialCognition