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8/2/2019 Environmental Psychology Lecture Notes: Cognitive Maps & Way Finding
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/environmental-psychology-lecture-notes-cognitive-maps-way-finding 1/3
8/2/2019 Environmental Psychology Lecture Notes: Cognitive Maps & Way Finding
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/environmental-psychology-lecture-notes-cognitive-maps-way-finding 2/3
Two main types of spatial knowledge:
Survey knowledge: memory of relationships between locations, more of a gestalt view
Route knowledge: sequence in memory about how to get from a starting location to a next place
Depends on the person and the particular environments
Questions
How much of cognitive mapping is learned through experience? Most of it.
How is learning from physical maps different from actually moving through the environment? North and
South
How do we develop a cognitive map?
Developing cognitive maps
One view: we create a complete internal representation of a spatial area in question
Alternate view: we process environmental cures as we move through a space
Differences in Cognitive Maps
Do some people have special cognitive mapping abilities?Familiarity & experience
Age differences
-Nature of cognitive maps changes with development
-Spatial skills may decline with age: decrease in ability to inhibit irrelevant information
Harder to keep out things we don't need
Cognitive Maps
Gender differences
-Cognitive maps are equally accurate, but stylistically different
-Women include more districts/landmarks, while men focus on path structure
-Local features (ecocentric/landmarks) vs. global perspective (allocentric/survey knowledge strategy)More allocentric-men
More ecocentric-women
Preference
-Both men & women can give & use directions in various ways, but men are more likely to use compass
directions & distance estimates, while women are more likely to focus on landmarks
Genetic vs. social
Orientation & Wayfinding
Orientation: The process of locating where we are at and deciding where to go next
Wayfinding: The process of getting from where you are at to a planned destination
Wayfinding includes:
1. Orienting to where you are at that moment
2. Selecting a route
3. Monitoring the route
4. Recognizing the destination
Cognitive Mapping & Wayfinding
We may process information at transition points that provide "on the spot" guidance
Cab drivers can often draw poor maps, but can find a location by " I know when I get there" wayfinding
8/2/2019 Environmental Psychology Lecture Notes: Cognitive Maps & Way Finding
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/environmental-psychology-lecture-notes-cognitive-maps-way-finding 3/3
Research by Heft compared
-vistas only
-transitions only
-complete film of a route
Results: found that sequence of transition points is very important
Assisting Cognitive Mapping & Wayfinding
Integrate information, like signs, into transition points
You want signs there, at transition points
Use some redundancy (more than repetition)
Develop integrated information systems using key words, maps, graphics, and color
Employ you-are-here (YAH) maps
Improving YAH maps
Psychologist Levine has developed a number of ideas:
Label parts in a consistent & understandable manner
Provide orientation by creating map parallel to the ground or using "Forward-up" equivalenceUse Structure-Matching when possible
-At least 2 features in the map should match 2 features in the environment
Question
How do you think common use of GPS satellite navigation systems could affect wayfinding strategies
and cognitive mapping?