What is cognitive mapping?

Cognitive mapping is the means by which people process their environment, solve problems and use memory. This was first identified at the end of the 1940s. In his experiments, Tolman called on every rat by the maze that offered food at the end. He noticed that every time the rats went through countless small paths and dead ends, they made fewer mistakes. In the end, everyone was able to move quickly to the goal without false starts. Similarly, human infants realize through the experience that crying will bring food and/or attention. The child learns not to touch the hot stove. A person who was blinded can still find a way around his house.

Cognitive mapping is a form of memory, but it is also more than that. Maintaining a sequence of streets in the direction of your house is memory; To see these streets in the eye of your "mind" as you speak is kogNitive mapping. One work definition of cognitive mapping comes from Downs & Stea in their textbook cognitive mapping and spatial behavior: "The process composed of a number of psychological transformations that the individual acquires, codes, shops, download and decoding information about relative places and fenno attributes."

However, this is the most basic interpretation. In fact, this level is carried out by promising research on how to introduce cognitive mapping into robot programming. But two Russian scientists at George Mason University, are building on earlier studies, now they assume that our individual value systems can also be integrated into our ours.

In other words, if one believes that he or she has no value as a human being, which could lead them to the path of self -destructive behavior. Each twists and turns in the inner map would logically follow the basethe initial assumption. The key phrase in the Downs and Stea definition can be a "number of psychological transformations". Cognitive maps are a necessity. When Tolman's rats were confronted with another maze, the same formula of the experiment, mistakes and final success followed.

Therefore, many psychotherapists now use cognitive mapping in their practice. As with Edward Tolman's tests, there is hope that redrawing cognitive maps can help its patients better negotiate the maze they have wandered to. Experience can also rework the map. For example, if someone grew up in a family that was strongly prejudice to a particular group of people, it could be a cognitive map orientation. But if Toosoba then met and became close friends with a person in this scorn group, the inner landscape could start to move.