Abstract
Cities on a map that are directly connected by a route are judged closer than unconnected cities. This route effect has been attributed to memory distortions induced by the integration of map information with high-level knowledge about implications of route connections. However, depicted routes also connect cities visually, thereby creating a single visual object—which implies a perceptual basis of the route effect. In this article we show that the effect does not depend on whether a map is presented as a map or as a meaningless pattern of symbols and lines (Experiment 1), and that the effect occurs even if spatial judgments are made vis-à -vis a permanently visible configuration (Experiment 2). These findings suggest that the distorted spatial representation is a by-product of perceptual organization, not of the integration of abstract knowledge in memory by given organization principles.
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Klippel, A., Knuf, L., Hommel, B., Freksa, C. (2005). Perceptually Induced Distortions in Cognitive Maps. In: Freksa, C., Knauff, M., Krieg-Brückner, B., Nebel, B., Barkowsky, T. (eds) Spatial Cognition IV. Reasoning, Action, Interaction. Spatial Cognition 2004. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 3343. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32255-9_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32255-9_12
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