Just Down The Road A Piece: The Development of Topological Knowledge of Building Layouts
Abstract
This study explores whether people’s topological knowledge changes as they get to know a setting. Volunteers ( n = 128) performed open and directed searches in three large hospitals. In open searches the participants attempted to become familiar with the hospital; in directed searches they sought specific locations. The participants also performed various cognitive tasks such as pointing and sketch mapping. During initial exploration, they relied more on local topological qualities, such as how many additional nodal decision points could be seen from a given node. As they got to know the setting better, their wayfinding behavior was better predicted by more global qualities such as the space syntax integration of a node. This suggests that people rapidly move from a local to a more global topological understanding as they learn a setting. In addition, space syntax measures were good predictors of the participant's ability to point to out-of-sight locations and of their sketch maps.
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Different classes of spatial configurations are associated with differences in the connectedness of regions of space and thereby influence the movement and interactions of individuals in space.
“Different classes of spatial configurations are associated with differences in the connectedness of regions of space and thereby influence the movement and interactions of individuals in space 168,169 .”
From From cognitive maps to spatial schemas (2023) · cites this paper as [168]
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Up the down staircase: Wayfinding strategies in multi-level buildings
Hölscher, C., Meilinger, T., Vrachliotis, G., Brösamle, M., & Knauff, M. (2006) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.09.002 · Cited by 350 · see citing works
From cognitive maps to spatial schemas
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Seeing the Axial Line: Evidence from Wayfinding Experiments
Emo, B. (2014) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs4030167 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
- Authors
- Haq, S., & Zimring, C.
- Venue
- Environment and Behavior
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2003-01
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 132-160
- ISSN
- 0013-9165 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-390X
- OpenAlex
- W2125003656
- Cited by
- 209
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 19.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environment and Behavior (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Spatial Cognition and Navigation
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Urban Design and Spatial Analysis
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Place Attachment and Urban Studies
- Keywords
- wayfinding, space syntax, spatial learning, hospital environment, sketch maps, spatial cognition
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