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Related Experiment Videos

Cognitive maps as orienting schemata.

M J Sholl1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02167.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|October 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Cognitive maps function differently based on scale. Local environments use orienting schemata, while large geographical regions rely on distinct cognitive structures for navigation.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Spatial Cognition
  • Human Navigation

Background:

  • Cognitive mapping theories propose different structures for spatial representation.
  • The 'picture in the head' model suggests a fixed orientation and equal accessibility of locations.
  • The orienting schema theory posits no preferred orientation and faster localization of targets in front of the body.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nature of cognitive maps by testing two competing theories.
  • To determine if cognitive map structure varies with the scale of the environment and learning method.

Main Methods:

  • A 'point-to-unseen-targets' task was employed to assess spatial localization accuracy and latency.
  • Experiments utilized different target types (cities vs. local landmarks) and learning methods (map-based vs. direct experience).

Main Results:

  • Map-learned city targets confirmed the 'picture in the head' predictions (preferred orientation, equal accessibility).
  • Directly experienced local landmarks supported the orienting schema theory (no preferred orientation, faster localization of front targets).
  • Mixed learning of large regions yielded results not predicted by either theory.

Conclusions:

  • Orienting schemata are effective for local environmental orientation.
  • Large-scale geographical orientation appears to be supported by a different, yet unidentified, cognitive structure.
  • The findings suggest a dual-system model for cognitive mapping depending on environmental scale.

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