TITLE:
Spatial Knowledge Acquisition in the Process of Navigation: A Review
AUTHORS:
Negar Ahmadpoor, Sina Shahab
KEYWORDS:
Spatial Knowledge, Navigation, Physical Environment, Spatial Design Disciplines
JOURNAL NAME:
Current Urban Studies,
Vol.7 No.1,
February
12,
2019
ABSTRACT: Spatial cognition has become an increasingly important
area of study since it represents a major type of human knowledge with
considerable practical significance. The general assumption is that people’s spatial
knowledge forms people’s spatial behaviour, such as navigation, in
the environment. However, there are some critical issues within this area,
including: how such knowledge is represented and organised,
the mechanisms by which it is activated, and the elementary and higher-level
cognitive processes that function upon the knowledge base to produce new
knowledge as well as the factors that are influential on acquiring spatial
knowledge. The theories regarding spatial knowledge acquisitions have attempted
to address these issues. This paper discusses these issues by reviewing the
literature. As such, the paper firstly provides the research background on
spatial knowledge acquisition and the theories of spatial knowledge
development. Secondly, the paper debates the main factors affecting acquiring
and forming knowledge about the environment. In doing that, the effects of two
main factors are discussed: 1) the means of spatial knowledge acquisition (direct
experience, physical map, and mobile maps), and 2) the role of different properties of physical
environment.