{"id":23739,"date":"2025-05-06T16:52:29","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T16:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=23739"},"modified":"2025-05-06T16:52:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T16:52:31","slug":"new-study-reveals-five-year-olds-ability-to-navigate-a-tiny-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/new-study-reveals-five-year-olds-ability-to-navigate-a-tiny-town\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Reveals Five-Year-Olds&#8217; Ability to Navigate a &#8216;Tiny Town&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A new study from Emory University shows that children as young as five can navigate a virtual environment, revealing early development of critical brain systems. This breakthrough could reshape our understanding of cognitive development.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a groundbreaking study, researchers at Emory University have discovered that children as young as five years old can navigate through a virtual environment dubbed &#8220;Tiny Town,&#8221; demonstrating that they possess advanced map-based navigation skills much earlier than previously believed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By using brain scans and a simplified virtual environment, the researchers identified that the neural system supporting this type of navigation is in place by age five. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their findings, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2503569122\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, challenge the prevailing notion that such skills fully develop around age 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile large-scale navigation abilities certainly continue to develop throughout childhood, our findings show that the underlying neural system is established remarkably early,\u201d first author Yaelan Jung, a postdoctoral fellow in Emory\u2019s Department of Psychology, said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRather than taking a decade or more, map-based navigation is underway in half that time,&#8221; added senior author Daniel Dilks,  an associate professor of psychology at Emory. &#8220;Five-year-olds have the brain system enabling them to find their way around a tiny, virtual town. They not only know that the ice cream store in the mountain region is different than the ice cream store in the lake region, they know how to navigate the streets to get to each of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study&#8217;s implications stretch beyond academic curiosity; it suggests early development of cognitive abilities that were previously underestimated. The research has the potential to inform educational strategies and identify early indicators of atypical neural development, paving the way for interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In prior studies with adults, the Dilks lab has distinguished the functions of three scene-selective brain regions: the parahippocampal place area (PPA) for recognizing places, the retrosplenial complex (RSC) for mapping locations, and the occipital place area (OPA) for navigating immediate surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One might find it counterintuitive that while children can walk before age two, their brain systems for walking navigation don\u2019t resemble those of adults until about age eight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMost children can walk before the age of two. And yet the brain system helping you walk around your immediate surroundings doesn\u2019t start appearing adultlike until relatively late,\u201d Dilks added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jung and Dilks theorized that the seemingly complex ability of map-based navigation develops earlier due to the environmental exposure toddlers get when they are carried or pushed in strollers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To test their theory, they ran experiments using a virtual environment initially designed for adults, called Neuralville, which was then simplified to Tiny Town. Tiny Town features a triangular layout with distinctive landmarks, such as mountains, trees and lakes, making it suitable for five-year-olds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:18px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"568\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tiny-Town-playground.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tiny-Town-playground.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tiny-Town-playground-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tiny-Town-playground-768x485.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Caption: <\/em>A playground scene in Tiny Town<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Credit: <\/em>Dilks Lab, Emory University<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:2px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The children were introduced to Tiny Town through computer games and trained to navigate it, subsequently being tested on their memory and map skills using fMRI scans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The experiment\u2019s success also highlighted the importance of making science engaging for children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe want to get at the scientific questions that we\u2019re trying to answer,\u201d added Jung, \u201cbut it\u2019s also important that a child who participates in a study has a good time. We want them to leave with a good impression of science.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking to the future, the Dilks lab is now focusing on even younger age groups to further understand the development of these complex brain functions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s fascinating to explore how humans use different parts of the brain for complex behaviors and how these different neural systems come online in development,\u201d Jung added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This continuing research aims to deepen our understanding of typical and atypical neural development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:11px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.emory.edu\/features\/2025\/05\/esc_tiny_town_navigation_05-05-2025\/index.html\" title=\"\">Emory University<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a groundbreaking study, researchers at Emory University have discovered that children as young as five years old can navigate through a virtual environment dubbed &#8220;Tiny Town,&#8221; demonstrating that they possess advanced map-based navigation skills much earlier than previously believed. By using brain scans and a simplified virtual environment, the researchers identified that the neural [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[231],"class_list":["post-23739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","tag-emory-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In a groundbreaking study, researchers at Emory University have discovered that children as young as five years old can navigate through a virtual environment dubbed &#8220;Tiny Town,&#8221; demonstrating that they possess advanced map-based navigation skills much earlier than previously believed. By using brain scans and a simplified virtual environment, the researchers identified that the neural&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23739"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23799,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23739\/revisions\/23799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}