Cognitive geography

Cognitive geography is an interdiscipline of cognitive science and geography, which studies maps in the mind. It is one of the studies into the foundations of geography. An important topic in cognitive geography is the cognitive map. Cognitive geography has been described as "the study of the maps in people’s minds." It also investigates "how peoples may see their world."

Cognitive geography and behavioral geography draw from early behaviorist works such as Tolman's concepts of "cognitive maps". More cognitively oriented, these geographers focus on the cognitive processes underlying spatial reasoning, decision making, and behavior. More behaviorally oriented geographers are materialists and look at the role of basic learning processes and how they influence the landscape patterns or even group identity.

The cognitive processes include environmental perception and cognition, wayfinding, the construction of cognitive maps, place attachment, the development of attitudes about space and place, decisions and behavior based on imperfect knowledge of one's environs, and numerous other topics.

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