Knowledge of the Environment and Spatial Cognition: JRS as a Technique for Improving Comparisons between Social Groups

Abstract

In this paper we compare the sketch-map technique with a spatial modelling task based on a set of eight separate items. The aim of the comparison is to verify, thanks to a special spatial reconstruction set, Jeu de reconstruction spatiale (JRS), whether the difficulties often encountered by unskilled persons when asked to draw a sketch map can be avoided. If so, the JRS could help to improve comparisons between different social groups. Thirty university students majoring in geography and twenty-one unskilled staff members were asked to represent the centre of Strasbourg both by drawing a sketch and with the JRS. The results show that, on one hand, the difference between the two groups regarding the number of items mentioned is smaller with the JRS than with the sketch map. On the other hand, in both groups, the same proportion of respondents increased the number of urban elements produced in the second trial with the JRS. This was not the case with the sketch map. Also, the JRS is more stable than the sketch map from one trial to the next. Furthermore, the respondents preferred the JRS to the sketch map. However, the JRS is more suggestive than the sketch map, but only for elements which are more rarely represented (railway tracks, etc). Thus, in terms of scientific research, the JRS makes it possible to improve comparisons between social groups. In terms of applications, it offers interesting possibilities for promoting citizen participation in urban planning.

Social trajectory and socio-spatial representation of urban space: The relation between social and cognitive structures

“…This allows us to bridge our approach with the classical body of literature on the hierarchical structure of places and the impact of reference points on spatial distortions in cognitive maps. Further research combining a characterization questionnaire (Flament, 1994;Guimelli, 1989) and a spatial reconstruction set (Ramadier & Bronner, 2006) should allow us to validate this hypothesis on spatial distortions with more precision.…”

A Systematic Review into Factors Influencing Sketch Map Quality

“…The level of education has been confirmed in three studies and unconfirmed in two. Secondary school grade does not influence the content frequency of sketch maps [85,126], but the general level of education does [74,94,130]. Pupils at lower secondary schools drew fewer elements than pupils at upper secondary schools, just as labourers drew fewer than university students of the same age.…”

What construct one’s familiar area? A quantitative and longitudinal study

“…In terms of techniques for obtaining mental maps, most studies used a sketch map to access an individual's mental map (e.g. Ceccato and Snickars, 2000;Curtis et al, 2014;Fang and Lin, 2016;Halseth and Doddridge, 2000;Kohm, 2009;Ramadier and Bronner, 2006). With the help of sketch maps, researchers are able to investigate the changing content of spatial representation in individual's mental map, as well as the spatial relationships between objects.…”