Every day, people have to find their way around in terms of location and time. Appointments have to be kept at a certain place at a certain time. To make this possible, humans have a cognitive ability – the ability to orient.
What is the orientation ability?
Orientation ability, generally speaking, is the ability to find one’s way in space, time, or one’s own individual. The concept of orientation comes from psychology. The ability to orientate is, generally speaking, the ability to find one’s way in space, time or in one’s own individual. The mental orientation ability thus includes spatial and temporal perception as well as the awareness of one’s own person. The latter includes one’s own identity and the related references; situational awareness. This determines how the person behaves and acts in different situations. In a narrower sense, orientation, in most cases, means the ability to orientate oneself locally. The orientation ability also counts as one of seven abilities that are necessary for the smooth execution of movement processes. It stands thereby in interaction with the change-over ability, the reaction ability, the differentiation ability, the coupling ability, the equilibrium ability as well as the rhythmization ability. The basic sense of orientation is innate. It varies from person to person, but can also be developed with practice. There is a relationship between conscious awareness of the environment in which a person is located and orientation ability. In general, the spatial orientation ability refers to the ability to move spatially and directionally. For this purpose, various sensory organs are needed to enable orientation. For pure orientation, mainly the ears and eyes are used. If movement in space is added, the muscles (depth sensitivity) and the sense of balance also play a role. In animals, moreover, the sense of smell or the sense of temperature are used for orientation to an even greater extent than in humans (in addition to other senses, such as sonar, which humans do not possess).
Function and task
For humans and animals, the ability to orient plays an important role. Spatial orientation is learned primarily through movement in space and, accordingly, is related to memory. Places that have been visited are stored by the brain as an impression. If the person visits this place again, he will be able to remember it in most cases. The more often this place is visited, the better the person memorizes it. This is also related to the amount of time the person has had to look at the place. The same applies to distances that a person travels. Spatial orientation not only serves to move directionally over a certain distance to a place, but also helps to avoid getting stuck in this process. On the one hand, orientation has the function to help people find their way and to remind them of spaces and places. In doing so, it draws on memory and stored impressions of the environment. However, the prerequisite for this is the conscious perception of space. On the other hand, people use the ability to orient together with the sense of balance to cover distances without running into objects or other people, for example. If a sensory organ that is used for orientation is damaged or impaired, either briefly or permanently, people find it more difficult to find their way. In this case, he is often forced to use other senses to help him. For example, people find it difficult to orient themselves in the dark in rooms that are unfamiliar to them. The eye does not serve as a guide and the person is forced to use the sense of touch to avoid running into objects or even tripping over things. As a result, he will automatically move more slowly and insecurely in this space. Orientation thus also serves as a safeguard during movements in the broadest sense.
Diseases and ailments
Orientation ability interacts with goal-directed reflexes. In the event of a fall, humans intercept themselves – if they can – to avoid injury. Spatial orientation is also needed for this process, for example, to estimate distances.If the interaction of the various senses is disturbed, the ability to orient oneself is reduced. This can trigger disorientation, dizziness or nausea. Diseases or complaints that cause dizziness, for example, are generally accompanied by a lack of orientation. The sense of balance is disturbed and, depending on the severity, the affected person is no longer able to find his or her way in space. In some cases, falls and injuries may occur because spatial orientation is no longer fully functional. If the ability to orientate is not constant, experts speak of orientation disorders, and in the case of complete disorientation, of disorientation. This applies not only to the spatial realm, but also to the temporal or personal. People with orientation disorders often cannot determine time or place. Depending on the severity, for example in the case of amnesia, the knowledge of one’s own self may additionally be disturbed. Illnesses associated with orientation disorders can be various mental illnesses such as psychoses, but also physical illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In the latter, disorientation is related to memory disorders, among other things. But sleepwalking is also associated with orientation disorders. The situation is similar for other psychogenic orientation disorders. They are categorized in medicine and psychology as dissociative disorders. Carbon monoxide poisoning, sleep deprivation, increased body temperature or increased intracranial pressure can also be associated with difficulties in orientation. As a symptom of the disease, loss of orientation usually takes place first in time, then in space. Only then is the orientation of one’s self disturbed. Affected persons forget, for example, the simplest information about themselves or people in their environment. This can be the hair color of their best friend, their own birthday or even their own name.
