Determining the Preference of a Road Map Against a Global Positioning System

Determining the Preference of a Road Map against a Global Positioning System (GPS)

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University of XXXXX XXXXX

Author Note

This paper was prepared for PSY 100,

Determining the Preference of a Road Map against a Global Positioning System (GPS)

While traveling from the cities of Jacksonville, North Carolina (NC) to Fayetteville, NC earlier this month, my wife wanted to try out the new car Garmin Global Positioning System (GPS) that I bought for her birthday. After plugging in the start and ending points the plot took use by way of Interstate (I) 40, and I-95. This changed from the usual route of going through the city of Clinton using Highway (Hwy) 24. I pulled out my trusty atlas, while my wife laughed and mumbled something about old school. Plotted the route from the new Garmin and realized the greater distance was neutralized by the allowance of increase 4 lane travel speed. The next weekend we took our granddaughter to Hammock Beach. Again I typed in our destination. However this time the beach in Swansboro, NC could not be found. After going through multiple combinations, I clicked a screen labeled recreation. There it was listed as a State Park. As I looked at my old trusty atlas it was listed both as a state park and a beach. Which led to me ask; given the access of today’s navigational applications, would people continue to use paper road maps if electronic devices were also available?

I modified a NC state map at work removing Hammock Beach. My friend and I hooked his boat up to his truck and preceded to the Walmart located in New Bern, NC to test this hypothesis. This location was chosen because the majority of area water sport enthusiast travel to Atlantic Beach and Morehead City, NC. Also fishermen are familiar with maps used to navigate the waterways. Yet still boats are heavily outfitted with electronic GPS and radar gear.

We parked and held the map making small directional gestures as if trying to find our way. The Garmin...