Cognitive mapping in children: using a bird's-eye view in small- and large-scale spaces

Abstract

It is hypothesized that a bird's-eye view affects children's thinking on the transition from route to configurational knowledge. Children were asked to make a cognitive map about the region where they live. Then each child was identified whether he had a bird's-eye view or not according to the small-scale space task (i.e., "apples on the table" task) and the large-scale space task (i.e., "a landscape" task). The results of cognitive mapping showed that the children who had a bird's-eye view on the small- and large-scale space tasks produced a number of "node," "path," and "landmark" and also could place the targets better than the children who did not have a bird's-eye view. It is discussed that there is relationship between a bird's-eye view and production of nodes, and that a bird's-eye view could affect children's cognitive mapping on the transition from route to configurational knowledge.