Abstract
Maps enable us to relate to spatial phenomena and events from viewpoints far beyond direct experience. By employing signs and symbols, maps communicate about near as well as distant geospatial phenomena, events, objects, or ideas. Besides acting as identifiers, map signs and symbols may, however, not only denote but also connote. While most cartographic research has focused on the denoting character of visual variables, research from related disciplines stresses the importance of connotative qualities on affect, cognition, and behavior. Hence, this research focused on the connotative character of map symbols by empirically assessing the affective qualities of shape stimuli. In three stimulus conditions of cartographic and non-cartographic contexts, affective responses towards a set of eight shape stimuli were assessed by employing a semantic differential technique. Overall findings showed that shape symbols lead to, at times, highly distinctive affective responses. Findings further suggest two particular stimulus clusters of affective qualities that prevailed over all stimulus conditions, i.e., a cluster of asymmetric stimuli and a cluster of symmetric stimuli. Between the intersection of psychology, cartography, and semiotics, this paper outlines theoretical perspectives on cartographic semiotics, discusses empirical findings, and addresses implications for future research.
Highlights
As visual means of communication, maps allow sharing information, ideas, and thoughts and enable us to relate to spatial phenomena from a viewpoint beyond direct experience
Affective responses towards three stimulus sets were collected by the means of semantic differential scales, resulting in affect ratings from −3 to +3 for each stimulus
To first assess the latent, underlying dimensions tested by the semantic differential items employed, a principal component analysis (PCA) with orthogonal rotation (Varimax) was conducted
Summary
As visual means of communication, maps allow sharing information, ideas, and thoughts and enable us to relate to spatial phenomena from a viewpoint beyond direct experience. Maps allow us to communicate and think about the near and the distant, about phenomena, events, and objects that “are not tied to the immediate present” [1] As words describe or express, maps depict and express [2]. By applying a mutually shared set of signs and semiotic rules, sheer unlimited, meaningful, novel messages about space and time can be communicated through maps. It is, the depicted as much as the un-depicted, the said as much as the un-said, which will influence people’s perception, interpretation, and imagination. Maps are never neutral but based on a myriad of choices of what to communicate and how to communicate
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