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International Conference on Spatial Information Theory

COSIT 1997: Spatial Information Theory A Theoretical Basis for GIS pp 297–311Cite as

The perception and cognition of environmental distance: Direct sources of information

  • Cognitive Aspects of Spatial Acquisition
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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1329))

Abstract

Research on direct sources of information for the perception and cognition of environmental distance is reviewed. Environmental distances are relatively large and cannot be perceived in entirety from a single place.Directly-acquired knowledge of environmental distance is based on the sensorimotor apprehension of information fromthe body or from the environment during locomotion. The paper is organized around the idea that distance knowledge is derived from multiple, partially redundant information sources. After briefly discussing general issues, I review literature on direct sources of distance information,including environmental features, travel time, and travel effort. Theories of how these sources provide information about distance are considered. To date, only information from environmental features has received much empirical support as a direct source of distance knowledge, particularly to the extent that the features segment routes into vistas. Key weaknesses in the empirical literatureare discussed, and importantresearch directions are identified.

An expanded version of this manuscript, including a comprehensive reference list, is available from the author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, Santa Barbara, USA

    Daniel R. Montello

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  1. Daniel R. Montello
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Stephen C. Hirtle Andrew U. Frank

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© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Montello, D.R. (1997). The perception and cognition of environmental distance: Direct sources of information. In: Hirtle, S.C., Frank, A.U. (eds) Spatial Information Theory A Theoretical Basis for GIS. COSIT 1997. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1329. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-63623-4_57

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-63623-4_57

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-63623-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69616-2

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