Distortions in memory for maps
@article{Tversky1981DistortionsIM,
title={Distortions in memory for maps},
author={Barbara Tversky},
journal={Cognitive Psychology},
year={1981},
volume={13},
pages={407-433}
}Evidence is presented for systematic errors in memory for real and artificial maps, local environments, and visual forms. These errors are attributed to two heuristics that are derived from principles of perceptual organization. Maps of countries or localities are conceived of as figures in backgrounds. Remembering the absolute location of figures is difficult, and is facilitated by remembering locations relative to other figures and/or relative to the natural directions of the figure. In…
Figures and Tables from this paper
626 Citations
Perceptual and conceptual factors in distortions in memory for graphs and maps.
- Psychology, MedicineJournal of experimental psychology. General
- 1989
Three experiments demonstrated increased (horizontal or vertical) symmetry in perception and memory of nearly symmetric curves in graphs and rivers in maps and suggested that the reference frame for map lines is the canonical axes and for graph lines, the imaginary 45 degrees line.
Distortions in cognitive maps
- Computer Science
- 1992
There does not seem to be a single, coherent cognitive map that captures what the authors know about a particular map or environment, and research using distance judgments, direction judgments, map recognition, map construction, and other information from memory for maps or environments suggests that distortions are systematic.
How Are the Locations of Objects in the Environment Represented in Memory?
- Computer ScienceSpatial Cognition
- 2003
Evidence on the orientation dependence of spatial memories and recent results indicating that two representations may be formed when people learn a new environment; one preserves inter-object spatial relations and the other comprises visual memories of experienced views are reviewed.
A category adjustment approach to memory for spatial location in natural scenes.
- Psychology, MedicineJournal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition
- 2010
Error patterns suggest that both perceptual and conceptual information are involved in segmentation in location memory, and the possible neurological foundations of location memory of this kind are discussed.
Perceptually Induced Distortions in Cognitive Maps
- Geography, Computer ScienceSpatial Cognition
- 2004
It is shown that the route effect does not depend on whether a map is presented as a map or as a meaningless pattern of symbols and lines, and that the effect occurs even if spatial judgments are made vis-a-vis a permanently visible configuration, suggesting that the distorted spatial representation is a by-product of perceptual organization.
Systems of Spatial Reference in Human Memory
- Medicine, Computer ScienceCognitive Psychology
- 2001
It is proposed that learning and remembering the spatial structure of the surrounding environment involves interpreting the layout in terms of a spatial reference system imposed on the environment but defined by egocentric experience.
Long-Term Spatial Representations From Pictorial and Textual Input
- Computer ScienceCOSIT
- 1997
The current studies investigate whether mental models learned from description are subject to the same tendencies or whether they revert with time to a less spatial format that better optimizes cognitive economy.
Spatial Cognition III
- Psychology, Computer ScienceLecture Notes in Computer Science
- 2003
Within psychology, at least two research communities study spatial cognition. One community studies systematic errors in spatial memory and judgement, accounting for them as a consequence of and clue…
Location memory in the real world: Category adjustment effects in 3-dimensional space
- Medicine, PsychologyCognition
- 2013
The results support two predictions of the CAM: that memory for locations is biased toward central values, and that the magnitude of error increases with the retention interval.
How undistorted spatial memories can produce distorted responses
- Psychology, MedicineAttention, perception & psychophysics
- 2014
The results highlight the complex pathway involved in translating probabilistic memories into discrete actions, and they present a new attentional mechanism by which undistorted spatial memories can lead to distorted reproduction responses.
References
SHOWING 1-10 OF 36 REFERENCES
TRANSFORMATIONS ON REPRESENTATIONS OF OBJECTS IN SPACE
- History, Mathematics
- 1978
The chapter describes the nature of mental operations that correspond to spatial transformations other than rotation, which include size changes, translations, reflections, and structural transformations in which the form of an object is changed or the parts of a object are synthesized.
Studies of the cognitive representation of spatial relations: II. A familiar environment.
- Psychology, MedicineJournal of experimental psychology. General
- 1979
The results suggest that either pairwise judgment or direct mapping yield accurative representations of spatial relations in a familial environment, but that subjects favor the direct map.
Distortions in judged spatial relations
- Medicine, GeographyCognitive Psychology
- 1978
A model in which spatial information is stored hierarchically, and there is a strong tendency to distort the judged relation to conform with the relation of the superordinate political unit is presented.
Cognitive reference points in judgments of symbolic magnitude
- MathematicsCognitive Psychology
- 1982
Research on speeded symbolic magnitude comparisons indicates that decisions are made more quickly when the magnitudes of the stimuli being compared are relatively close to an explicit or implicit…
Configural effects in perceived pointing of ambiguous triangles.
- Psychology, MedicineJournal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance
- 1981
The results show that perceived pointing is biased toward directions that are coincident with or perpendicular to the configural line, and suggest that the spacing effect depends on relative rather than absolute distance and that the number and spacing effects are additive.
Memory for Urban Geography
- Geography
- 1979
Consistent patterns of errors are found in estimations of distances and angles along urban routes, even among subjects who know the areas well. These patterns can be used to discover the organization…
Principles of perceptual organization and spatial distortion: the gestalt illusions.
- Psychology, MedicineJournal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance
- 1980
Using the principles of proximity, similarity, good continuation, and two types of closure, it was found that interior distances are underestimated relative to exterior distances.
Cognitive Skill: Implications for Spatial Skill in Large-Scale Environments.
- Psychology
- 1979
Abstract : The recent cognitive skills literature is reviewed and several principles of skilled performance are derived. One of the central issues in cognitive skills concerns the organization of…
Effect of Anchoring and Distance Perception on the Reproduction of Forms
- Computer Science
- 1961
There have been many studies dealing with the reproduction of visual forms. It has been found generally that there are certain consistent errors made in the reproductions, where errors are defined as…
Reference points in spatial cognition.
- Medicine, PsychologyJournal of experimental psychology. Human learning and memory
- 1980
The results of experiments 1-4 suggest that reference points occur in spatial cognition and that these points provide an organizational structure that facilitates the location of adjacent points in space.








