The Perception of Traversed Distance

Abstract

Two experiments were performed to assess the effects of intersections on distance cognition in the urban environment. A laboratory study examined estimated traversed distance as a function of the number of intersections along linear pathways. A field study investigated the distance estimates of individuals contacted in a shopping mall in Scottsdale, Arizona, to two points located in opposite directions along a major street adjacent to the mall. Data from the laboratory study revealed a strong positive relationship between the number of intersections along a traversed linear pathway and the estimated length of that path. Significant differences in estimated distance as a function of the number of intersections were also observed in the results of the field study. The findings are discussed in relation to information processing/storage and pathway segmentation models.