Spatial learning through landmarks

Abstract

To understand the interaction between individuals and the built environment, relevant attributes, and filtering mechanisms of how individuals perceive the built environment and act within this environment should be investigated. According to Golledge and Stimson (1997), the main psychological variables intervening between an environment and human behavior are a combination of cognitive and emotional attitudes, values, emotions, perception and cognition, and learning. Moreover, these variables are connected to each other and take place within people’s social and cultural networks. Spatial learning of a new route in an unfamiliar environment needs spatial decision-making processes, and in these processes, people use landmarks.