The construction and assessment of mental maps

Abstract

In investigations into the manner in which people store spatial information, experimental subjects are often asked to estimate the distances and bearings between various landmarks. Methodology is described for constructing the mental map underlying a subject's matrix of distances, and the mental map underlying a subject's matrix of bearings. Also presented are methods of comparing matrices of distances or bearings, and the mental maps constructed from them, with the geographical map; this enables an assessment of differences between them. Some statistical models of disorientation are considered, and a method of choosing between them is described.