Cognitive Psychology Flashcards: Cognitive Maps

What is a cognitive map?

What is a route map?

What type of knowledge does not contain spatial information such as distance?

What type of knowledge allows understanding of the relative position of landmarks?

__________ knowledge is independent of any particular route.

Which type of knowledge is a mental representation of one's physical environment?

Our knowledge of our environment can be represented in either 1.__________ maps that emphasize spatial information or 2.__________ maps that emphasize action information.

Greater activation in the posterior regions of which brain structure occurs during survey knowledge tasks?

Which representation describes space as perceived from the current point of view?

The statement 'The blue triangle is to the left of the green square' is an example of which representation?

What is the alignment heuristic?

What is the rotation heuristic?

Cognitive Maps

Cognitive Map: Mental representation of physical environment, outlining locations of objects and places.
Often reflects the structure of the environment, aiding navigation and spatial understanding.

Route Maps

Route Map: Indicates specific paths but lacks spatial information about distances or absolute directions.
Comprises verbal descriptions guiding through landmarks without detailed spatial context.

Knowledge Types

Route Knowledge: Focuses on navigation from landmark to landmark, does not include spatial measurements or absolute directions.
Survey Knowledge: Involves detailed understanding of landmarks' positions and relative distances to one another, independent of specific routes.

Activation Patterns in the Brain

Survey Knowledge tasks lead to increased activation in the posterior parietal cortex and hippocampus.
Route Knowledge tasks activate the caudate nucleus, anterior parietal cortex, and motor regions in the frontal cortex.

Spatial Representations

Egocentric Representation: Understanding space from one's current viewpoint, describing location as perceived directly.
Allocentric Representation: Independent of a specific viewpoint, describing locations in relation to one another.

Examples of Representations

Physical maps are considered allocentric as they illustrate relationships among various locations.
"The blue triangle is to the left of the green square" exemplifies an allocentric perspective.
"The yellow square is in front of you" depicts an egocentric perspective.

Heuristics in Spatial Representation

Alignment Heuristic: Mentally aligning objects to appear straighter than they are, typically horizontally or vertically.
Rotation Heuristic: Adjusting angles of tilted objects to make them appear more horizontal, impacting how individuals interpret their positions.

Test your knowledge of cognitive maps and route maps with these flashcards. Each term is defined to help you understand the mental representation of the physical environment and how we navigate spaces. Perfect for students of cognitive psychology.