Dr. Simon J. Buechner
| snail mail: Simon J. Buechner University of Freiburg Center for Cognitive Science Friedrichstr. 50 D-79098 Freiburg, Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aktuelle Webpräsenz von Dr. Simon Buechner
Sprechstunde
Research interests
- Spatial Cognition and Wayfinding
- Applied Spatial Cognition, Signage Systems
- Visual Cognition / Visual Attention
- Consciousness
- Learning
My dissertation investigated people's mental representations of complex architectural and urban scale spaces and the heuristics and strategies they use to get around these spaces. Starting with a taxonomy of wayfinding tasks I conducted several behavioral experiments in virtual and physical environments that investigated how the structure of the environment and the structure of the representation match or mismatch. Based on this I identified strategies that people use in order to reduce cognitive effort.
In addition, I lately used eye-tracking combined with a spatial decision making task to investigate how people navigate with signs. In this rather applied enterprise we manipulated photographs by putting different signage designs in various locations of an airport scene. The results allowed us to give detailed advice on how to improve signage in spatially complex situations while at the same time accounting for several environmental constraints.
Projects
SFB/TR 8 Project R6-[SpaceGuide]
Teaching
- Summer 2011
Seminar
"Introduction to Cognitive Science"
Center for Cognitive Science
University of Freiburg, Germany - Winter 2010/11
Lecture
"Empirical Research Methods"
Center for Cognitive Science
University of Freiburg, Germany - Summer 2009
Lectureship
"Seminar Cognitive Science"
Center for Cognitive Science
University of Freiburg, Germany - Spring 2005
Teaching Assistant
"Methods in Psychology (Psych 241)"
Department of Psychology
University of Massachusetts, Amherst - Fall 2004
Teaching Assistant
"Methods in Psychology (Psych 241)"
Department of Psychology
University of Massachusetts, Amherst - Summer 2003
Teaching Assistant
"Empirical Research in Education II"
Department of Education
University of Freiburg, Germany - Winter 2002/2003
Teaching Assistant
"Empirical Research in Education I"
Department of Education
University of Freiburg, Germany - Winter 2001/2002
Teaching Assistant
"Methods of empirical research"
Center for Cognitive Science
University of Freiburg, Germany
Short Vita
- 2010 Dissertation and Disputation (Dr. phil.) in Psychology, University of Freiburg
- since 2009 Research Cooperation with Frankfurt Airport on Evidence-Based Design of Signage
- 2008 Visiting Researcher at Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- since 2005 Research Assistant in the SFB/TR 8 Project R6-[SpaceGuide] and PhD student at the Center for Cognitive Science at the University of Freiburg, Germany
- 2005 Master of Science in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Thesis title: "The Effect of Object Boundaries on the Flow of Attention" [pdf] - 2003-2005 Graduate Student in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
and member of the Visual Attention and Cognition Lab of Kyle R. Cave - 2003 Baden-Württemberg and Fulbright-fellow at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Studies: Cognitive Psychology - 2000 Undergrad studies of Education, Cognitive Science and Philosophy at the University of Freiburg (Germany)
- 1999 Civilian Service (Alternative Military Service) in Frankfurt, Germany
- 1999 Graduation from high-school Augustinerschule Friedberg (Germany)
- 1979 born on September 5 in Bad Homburg, Germany
Publications
Büchner, S., Wiener, J. & Hölscher, C. (2012). Methodological Triangulation to Assess Sign Placement. Proceedings of the 2012 Symposium on Eye-Tracking Research & Applications [pdf]
Wiener, J.M., Hölscher, C., Büchner, S. & Konieczny, L. (in press). Gaze Behaviour during Space Perception and Spatial Decision Making. Psychological Research
Büchner, S.J. (2010). Environmental Structure, Mental Representations and Path Choice Heuristics – Information Processing in Wayfinding. Doctoral Thesis. University of Freiburg, Germany.
Büchner, S. & Hölscher, C. (2010). Orientation after floor changes in regularly and irregularly shaped parts of a staircase. Poster presented at the International Conference Spatial Cognition, Mt.Hood/Portland, OR, USA. [pdf]
Frankenstein, J., Büchner, S., Tenbrink, T. & Hölscher, C. (2010). Influence of geometry and objects on local route choices for wayfinding. Proceedings of the International Conference Spatial Cognition, Mt.Hood/Portland, OR, USA.
Büchner, S., Hölscher, C., Eckart, P., Hilpert, B., and Wiener, J. (2010). Evaluation of Signs using Eye-Tracking. Presented at EDRA41, Washington, DC.
Buechner S. J., Hölscher, C. & Wiener, J. (2009). Search Strategies and their Success in a Virtual Maze. In N.A. Taatgen & H. van Rijn (Eds.), Proceedings of the 31th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 1066-1071). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society. [pdf]
Wiener, J. M., Büchner, S. J. & Hölscher, C. (2009). Taxonomy of Human Wayfinding Tasks: A Knowledge-Based Approach Spatial Cognition & Computation 9(2), pages 152-165. [pdf]
Hölscher, C., Büchner, S., Meilinger, T. & Strube, G. (2009). Adaptivity of Wayfinding Strategies in a Multi-Building Ensemble: The effects of spatial structure, task requirements and metric information. Journal of Environmental Psychology 29(2), pages 208-219.
Hochmair, H. H., Büchner, S. J. & Hölscher, C. (2008). Impact of Regionalization and Detour on Ad-hoc Path Choice Spatial Cognition & Computation 8(3), pages 167-192. [pdf]
Büchner, S. J. & Hölscher, C. (2007). Inducing Hierarchical Representations: Consequences for Spatial Heuristics. Poster presented at 48th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Long Beach, CA.
Hölscher, C., Büchner, S., Brösamle, M., Meilinger, T., & Strube, G. (2007). Signs and Maps – Cognitive Economy in the Use of External Aids for Indoor Navigation. In D. S. McNamara & J. G. Trafton (Eds.), Proceedings of the 29th Annual Cognitive Science Society, pp. 377-382, Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society. [pdf]
Büchner, S. J., Hölscher, C. & Strube, G. (2007). Path choice heuristics for navigation related to mental representations of a building. In: Proceedings of the European Cognitive Science Conference, pages 504-509, Delphi, Greece. [pdf]
Büchner, S. J., & Hölscher, C. (2006). The science of signage - How empirical research can contribute to user-centered design. Presented at EDRA37, Atlanta, GA.
Büchner, S. J., Hölscher, C., & Meilinger, T. (2006). "Wie komm' ich da jetzt hin?" - Der Einfluss von Navigationshilfen und Strategiewahl auf das Bewegungsverhalten in einem komplexen Gebäude. Presented at Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (TeaP), Mainz.
Hölscher, C., Büchner, S. J., Meilinger, T. and Strube, G. (2006). Map Use and Wayfinding Strategies in a Multi-Building Ensemble. In: Proceedings of the Spatial Cognition Conference. Bremen, Germany
Meilinger, T., Hölscher, C., Büchner, S. J. and Brösamle, M. (2006) How much information do you need? Schematic maps in wayfinding and self localisation. In: Proceedings of the Spatial Cognition Conference. Bremen, Germany
Büchner, S. J.(2005). The Effect of Object Boundaries on the Flow of Attention, Unpublished master's thesis, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. [pdf]
Chambers, D., Cave, K., Buechner, S. J., & Bailey, S. (2005). Spatial Attention to a Partially Occluded Object. Poster presented at 46th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Toronto, ON.