Psychology

Cognitive Map

Cognitive Map

Cognitive Map is a mental picture or image of the layout of one’s physical environment. The term was first coined by a psychologist named Edward Tolman in the 1940s. It can help us navigate unfamiliar territory, give directions, and learn or recall information. It can provide insight into the worlds of those with sensory deficits and physical handicaps. The maps of blind people make more use of sound and touch cues than do those of sighted people. People in wheelchairs emphasize physical barriers in their maps, obstacles that are missing from the maps of those able to move more freely.