STUDIES IN COGNITIVE MAPS - THE EQUIAVAILABILITY PRINCIPLE AND SYMMETRY

Thirty-two subjects participated in an experiment to test the equiavai lability principle with respect to cognitive maps. Subjects teamed one of four different combinations of two routes. They were then expected to make judgments concerning orientation and distance to points eithe r experienced or inferred and either within a teamed pathway or betwee n learned pathways. The pathways also varied in terms of degree of sym metry. It was found that although orientation was equivalent in terms of errors for experienced and inferred movements, distance estimations were inferior for inferred movements. Similarly, the majority of depe ndent variables showed superior accuracy for judgments regarding withi n-pathway movements compared with between-pathway movements. Some impa ct of pathway symmetry was found. The results do not support the equia vailability principle.