Aggregation issues in cognitive mapping

Robert M. Kitchin; A. Stewart Fotheringham

doi:10.1111/0033-0124.00076

Aggregation issues in cognitive mapping

Robert M. Kitchin, A. Stewart Fotheringham

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cognitive mapping involves the description of the way individuals store and process geographic information. Typically, cognitivie mapping data are derived from individual responses and then analyzed in one of three ways: (1) the individual data sets are analyzed separately and only pooled for comparison (disaggregation); (2) the individual data sets are averaged and then analyzed (collective aggregation); or (3) the individual data sets are analyzed and the results averaged (individual aggregation). This paper compares the latter two aggregation strategies for analyzing cognitive mapping data using data collected in a large-scale study of students' configurational knowledge of the city of Swansea in the United Kingdom. It is contended that the aggregation strategy adopted will have a fundamental effect upon the conclusions drawn from a study.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	269-280
Number of pages	12
Journal	Professional Geographer
Volume	49
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/0033-0124.00076
State	Published - Aug 1 1997
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Aggregation
Cognitive mapping
Ecological fallacy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geography, Planning and Development
Earth-Surface Processes

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10.1111/0033-0124.00076

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title = "Aggregation issues in cognitive mapping",

abstract = "Cognitive mapping involves the description of the way individuals store and process geographic information. Typically, cognitivie mapping data are derived from individual responses and then analyzed in one of three ways: (1) the individual data sets are analyzed separately and only pooled for comparison (disaggregation); (2) the individual data sets are averaged and then analyzed (collective aggregation); or (3) the individual data sets are analyzed and the results averaged (individual aggregation). This paper compares the latter two aggregation strategies for analyzing cognitive mapping data using data collected in a large-scale study of students' configurational knowledge of the city of Swansea in the United Kingdom. It is contended that the aggregation strategy adopted will have a fundamental effect upon the conclusions drawn from a study.",

keywords = "Aggregation, Cognitive mapping, Ecological fallacy",

author = "Kitchin, {Robert M.} and Fotheringham, {A. Stewart}",

note = "Funding Information: * This research was supported by a Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity grant and an Affirmative Action Faculty Development Program grant from the College of Arts and Letters, San Diego State University. Cheryl Rogers assisted with the experiment reported in this paper. Eva Frank assisted with an earlier dissertation experiment that functioned as a pilot test. Dr. Judy Olson{\textquoteright}s role as advisor to the dissertation is acknowledged with appreciation. The dissertation research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant Number SES-8915175. Recommendations on analysis methods by an anonymous reviewer improved the paper.",

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doi = "10.1111/0033-0124.00076",

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AU - Fotheringham, A. Stewart

N1 - Funding Information: * This research was supported by a Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity grant and an Affirmative Action Faculty Development Program grant from the College of Arts and Letters, San Diego State University. Cheryl Rogers assisted with the experiment reported in this paper. Eva Frank assisted with an earlier dissertation experiment that functioned as a pilot test. Dr. Judy Olson’s role as advisor to the dissertation is acknowledged with appreciation. The dissertation research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant Number SES-8915175. Recommendations on analysis methods by an anonymous reviewer improved the paper.

PY - 1997/8/1

Y1 - 1997/8/1

N2 - Cognitive mapping involves the description of the way individuals store and process geographic information. Typically, cognitivie mapping data are derived from individual responses and then analyzed in one of three ways: (1) the individual data sets are analyzed separately and only pooled for comparison (disaggregation); (2) the individual data sets are averaged and then analyzed (collective aggregation); or (3) the individual data sets are analyzed and the results averaged (individual aggregation). This paper compares the latter two aggregation strategies for analyzing cognitive mapping data using data collected in a large-scale study of students' configurational knowledge of the city of Swansea in the United Kingdom. It is contended that the aggregation strategy adopted will have a fundamental effect upon the conclusions drawn from a study.

AB - Cognitive mapping involves the description of the way individuals store and process geographic information. Typically, cognitivie mapping data are derived from individual responses and then analyzed in one of three ways: (1) the individual data sets are analyzed separately and only pooled for comparison (disaggregation); (2) the individual data sets are averaged and then analyzed (collective aggregation); or (3) the individual data sets are analyzed and the results averaged (individual aggregation). This paper compares the latter two aggregation strategies for analyzing cognitive mapping data using data collected in a large-scale study of students' configurational knowledge of the city of Swansea in the United Kingdom. It is contended that the aggregation strategy adopted will have a fundamental effect upon the conclusions drawn from a study.

KW - Aggregation

KW - Cognitive mapping

KW - Ecological fallacy

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Aggregation issues in cognitive mapping

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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