Three experiments are conducted on cognitive distance in order to investigate the problems of intransitivity, noncommutativity, and the consistency of estimates across different methodologies. The results suggest that it will be extremely difficult to identify any simple relationship between physical distance and cognitive distance and that people do not possess internalized spatial representations of the physical world that are based on Euclidian geometry.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BELOFF, J. and H. BELOFF (1961) "The influence of valence on distance judgments of human faces."J. of Abnormal and Social Psychology62: 720-722.
2.
BELOFF, H. and S. COUPAR (1968) "Some transactional perceptions of African faces."British J. of Social and Clinical Psychology7: 169-175.
3.
BRATFISCH, O. (1969) "A further study of the relation between subjective distance and emotional involvement."Acta Psychologica29: 244-255.
4.
BRIGGS, R. (1973) "Urban cognitive distance," pp. 361-388 in R. M. Downs and D. Stea (eds.) Image and Environment: Cognitive Mapping and Spatial Behavior. Chicago: Aldine.
5.
CADWALLADER, M. T. (1975) "A behavioral model of consumer spatial decision making."Econ. Geography51: 339-349.
6.
CADWALLADER, M. T. (1973) "A methodological examination of cognitive distance," pp. 193-199 in W.F.E. Preiser (ed.) Environmental Design Research (Vol. 2). Stroudsburg, PA: Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross.
7.
CANTER, D. and S. K. TAGG (1975) "Distance estimation in cities."Environment and Behavior7: 59-80.
8.
COOMBS, C. H. (1964) A Theory of Data. New York: John Wiley.
9.
DAVID, H. A. (1963) The Method of Paired Comparisons. London: Charles Griffin.
10.
DAVIS, J. M. (1958) "The transitivity of preferences."Behavioral Sci.3: 26-33.
11.
DAY, R. A. (1976) "Urban distance cognition: review and contribution."Australian Geographer13: 193-200.
12.
DOWNS, R. M. (1970) "Geographic space perception: past approaches and future prospects," pp. 65-108 in C. Boardet al. (eds.) Progress in Geography, Vol. 2. London: Edward Arnold.
13.
DOWNS, R. M. and D. STEA [eds.] (1973) Image and Environment: Cognitive Mapping and Spatial Behavior. Chicago: Aldine.
14.
EDWARDS, W. (1967) "Behavioral decision theory," pp. 65-95 in W. Edwards and A. Tversky (eds.) Decision Making. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin.
15.
ERICKSEN. R. H. (1975) "The effects of perceived place attributes on cognition of urban distances." Department of Geography Discussion Paper 23, University of Iowa.
16.
GOLLEDGE, R. G. , R. BRIGGS, and D. DEMKO (1969) "The configuration of distances in intra-urban space."Proceedings of Association of Amer. Geogfaphers1: 60-65.
17.
GOULD, P. and R. WHITE (1974) Mental Maps. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin.
18.
GUILFORD, mmm mmm mmm mmm
19.
GUILFORD, J. P. (1954) Psychometric Methods. New York: McGraw-Hill.
20.
HAMBLIN, R. L. (1971) "Ratio measurement for the social sciences."Social Forces50: 191-206.
21.
HART, R. A. and G. T. MOORE (1973) "The development of spatial cognition: a review,." p. 246-288 in R. M. Downs and D. Stea (eds.) Image and Environment: Cognitive Mapping and Spatial Behavior. Chicago: Aldine.
22.
KAPLAN, S. (1973) "Cognitive maps in perception and thought," pp. 63-78 in R. M. Downs and D. Stea (eds.) Image and Environment: Cognitive Mapping and Spatial Behavior. Chicago: Aldine.
23.
KIRK, W. (1903) "Problems of geography."Geography48: 357-371.
24.
LEE, T. R. (1970) "Perceived distance as a function of direction in the city."Environment and Behavior2: 40-51.
25.
LOWREY, R. A. (1970) "Distance concepts of urban residents."Environment and Behavior2: 52-73.
26.
LUCE, R. D. and E. GALANTER (1963) "Psychophysical scaling," pp. 245-307 in R. D. Luceet al. (eds.) Handbook of Mathematical Psychology, Vol. 1. New York: John Wiley.
27.
LUNDBERG, U. (1973) "Emotional and geographical phenomena in psychophysical research," pp. 322-337 in R. M. Downs and D. Stea (eds.) Image and Environment: Cognitive Mapping and Spatial Behavior. Chicago: Aldine.
28.
LYNCH, K. (1960) The Image of the City. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
29.
MACKAY, D. B. , R. W. OLSHAVSKY, and G. SENTELL (1975) "Cognitive maps and spatial behavior of consumers."Geographical Analysis7: 19-34.
30.
PHIPPS, A. G. (1976) "Sources of measurement error in ratio estimates of urban cognitive distances." Department of Geography Discussion Paper 24, University of lowa.
31.
ROSS, R. T. (1934) "Optimum orders for the presentation of pairs in the method of paired comparisons."J. of Educ. Psychology25: 375-382.
32.
SAARINEN, T. F. (1973) "The use of projective techniques in geographic research," pp. 29-52 in W. H. Ittelson (ed.) Environment and Cognition. New York: Seminar Press.
33.
SHINN, A. M. (1974) "Relations between scales," pp. 121-158 in H. M. Blalock (ed.) Measurement in the Social Sciences: Theories and Strategies. Chicago: Aldine.
34.
SHINN, A. M. (1969) "An application of psychophysical scaling techniques to the measurement of national power."J. of Politics31: 932-951.
35.
SPROUT, H. and M. SPROUT (1965) The Ecological Perspective on Human Affairs with Special Reference to International Politics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press.
36.
STEA, D. (1969) "The measurement of mental maps: an experimental model for studying conceptual spaces," pp. 228-253 in K. R. Cox and R. G. Golledge (eds.) Behavioral Problems in Geography: A Symposium. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University.
37.
STEVENS, S. S. (1956) "The direct estimation of sensory magnitudes-loudness."Amer. J. of Psychology69: 1-25.
38.
STEVENS, S. S. and E. GALANTER (1957) "Ratio scales and category scales for a dozen perceptual continua."J. of Psychology54: 377-411.
39.
THOMPSON, D. L. (1963) "New concept: subjective distance. Store impressions affect estimates of travel time."J. of Retailing39: 1-6.
40.
TOLMAN, E. C. (1948) "Cognitive maps in rats and men."Psych. Rev.55: 189-208.
41.
TORGERSON, W. S. (1958) Theory and Methods of Scaling. New York: John Wiley.
42.
TROWBRIDGE, C. C. (1913) "On fundamental methods of orienting and `imaginary maps.'Science38: 888-897.
43.
YI-FU TUAN (1975) "Images and mental maps."Annals of Association of Amer. Geographers65: 205-213.