A framework for studying individual variation in tactile map reading is offered and a set of research guidelines suggested. It is argued that the reading may be viewed as a many-leveled skill or set of skills, and that differences are best understood from an information processing rather than a psychometric perspective. Possible kinds of individual variation are distinguished, corresponding to differences in basic tactile abilities, amount of knowledge of the problem domain, different cognitive styles, and differences in affective factors. It is argued that the divergences must be related to a full task analysis.
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