Patterns of Spatial Search

Abstract

The topic of patterns of spatial search has been largely neglected by geographers. Work that has been done on the topic has tended to concentrate on the development of concepts rather than on empirical investigations of search. This study attempts to help fill this vacuum: first, by developing a concept of search which treats the search pattern as a balance between the reduction of uncertainty and the costs of travel in search; second, by testing hypotheses arising from this. Using a student sample in Bristol, the search pattern of migrants for food shopping facilities is investigated at the level of shopping centre and individual shop. Different spatial search patterns are found at shop and centre level. The implications of these results and directions for further research are discussed in conclusion. DESPITE their central role in relation to the build-up of knowledge and formation of stable behaviour patterns, patterns of searching space have been largely ignored within geography, as Silk (I971) points out. The role of search order is critical in relation to the formation of habitual interaction patterns, if one accepts a sequential, satisficing model of choice behaviour (see Simon, I957). Following Gould's (I966) pioneering effort in this field, work that has been done on the topic has tended to concentrate on normative or conceptual approaches. Very little empirical research would seem to have been carried out on how people actually do search space in the course of their day-to-day activities. The purposes of this paper are twofold. The first aim is to develop a conceptual model of searching space, in the context of search in a new retailing environment following migration. Links between patterns of searching space and the learning process as conceived by a variety of psychologists are discussed elsewhere (see Hudson, I974). This specific retailing context reflects and is related to the second goal, which is to test the validity of this concept via an empirical analysis of a group of migrants, in the course of their learning about the food retailing environment of Bristol. Although developed in a particular context, the principles underlying the model can be thought of as having a more general application. The shape of the remainder of the paper follows from these two goals. As a first step, a simple conceptual model of searching space after migration to an area is outlined. Second, consideration is given to sampling, data collection, derivation of operational hypotheses and related methodological points. Following this, a variety of empirical analyses are presented and, finally, their results are discussed and some pointers to further research are identified. A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF SEARCH AFTER MIGRATION TO AN AREA Space may be searched either haphazardly or systematically. The strategy followed will reflect the value of the terminal behaviour to the searcher. But in practice any actual search pattern will involve both of these components and will be influenced by the inhibitory, frictional costs of distance and the differential perceived attractiveness of varying locations. The inhibitory cost of distance Distinct economic and psychological costs are associated with movement over space. These costs will influence the shape of the evolving pattern of spatial search. Search will tend to be concentrated near to the home or in other easily accessible regions, such as near to the workThis content downloaded from 157.55.39.49 on Mon, 29 Aug 2016 04:26:57 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms place. This spatial attenuation of search will be particularly relevant to the period immediately following migration since, during that period, there will be intense competition for available time from a variety of other activities. As time passes from the date of migration, these constraints will lessen and more extensive spatial search strategies become viable. Links with the behavioural concept of a time-space budget are clearly evident here (see Anderson, I97I). One can therefore hypothesize an outward pattern of spatial search, in which the order of locations (in this case shops and shopping centres) first visited to obtain particular goods or services will be directly related to ease of access to these places. The effects of the inhibitory costs of distance have previously been observed by Golledge and Brown (I967), who assert that such costs underlie the '. . unmistakable spatial bias . . .' exhibited by search behaviour. More generally, one can relate these costs and their impact on search behaviour to Zipf's (I949) hypothesis of least-effort behaviour. Further, one can postulate some maximum distance or travel time from search origin locations beyond which the costs of search are perceived to be excessive, relative to the objectives of search. This limit can be thought of as defining the region in which search will occur and from, which the elements of the habitual response set must ultimately come. This pattern is depicted schematically in Figure i(a).