On early cognitive mapping

  • Authors:

  • W. K. Yeap;M. E. Jefferies

  • Affiliations:

  • Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand;Department of Computer Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand (author for correspondence, E-mail: mjeff@cs.waikato.ac.nz)

  • Venue:
  • Spatial Cognition and Computation
  • Year:
  • 2000

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Abstract

In this paper we examine the nature of theearly cognitive map – the beginnings of acognitive map formed from one's earlyimpressions of the environment one is in. Twodistinct paradigms have emerged from ourstudies of what information is initially identified in a cognitive map. The first, which weterm a space-based approach, emphasises makingexplicit the spatial extent of the currentlocal environment. The second emphasises makingexplicit the relationships between objects inthe local environment and we call this anobject-based approach. For both paradigms weexamine the psychological literature to findsupport for the approach and the roboticists'attempts at implementing the idea. We arguethat a space-based approach is the moreappropriate way to compute an early cognitivemap. In particular, we find that Siegel andWhite's (1975) object-based hypothesis, whichstates that the developmental progression of acognitive map is from landmark to route tosurvey map, is not supported. The space-basedparadigm underpins our own work in this areaand we outline our own space-based theory forcomputing an early cognitive map.