Metacognitive Gap: Accurate Prediction and Biased Postdiction in Virtual Maze Navigation

Author: William Chao

Field of Study: Psychology

Faculty Mentors: Ian McDonough

Easel: 95

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: Spatial navigation decline is an early biomarker of Alzheimer's disease, but how people metacognitively monitor their navigation remains poorly understood. This study examined prediction and postdiction accuracy, planning behavior, and sense of direction in ~50 young adults completing a virtual maze task (Roblox) under map and no-map conditions across three difficulty levels. Preliminary data analysis reveals an asymmetry in metacognitive monitoring: participants demonstrated greater metacognitive calibration to task demands when looking ahead, planning longer for harder mazes and overestimating completion times more as difficulty increased. However, when looking back, participants consistently underestimated how long mazes took regardless of condition. Higher self-reported sense of direction (SBSOD) predicted faster navigation. These findings establish a baseline metacognitive profile in young adults for this virtual navigation task.