• Spatial Information Research
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.15-24
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to establish an analytical framework and quantitative methodologies to analyze 'the cognitive effects of web map use' and to empirically test it. This experimental design was established based on the literature about spatial cognition. Accuracy, reaction time, and confidence within each participant were compared to measure the cognitive effects of web map use for wayfinding. Geometric accuracy of the cognitive maps was estimated and calculated based on the bidimensional regression. The experimental results showed that characteristics of map users and repetition of map use rather than types of map representation did significantly affect accuracy and reaction time of spatial cognition by using web maps. And confidence appeared to be low when the participants referred to both 2D and 3D maps for wayfinding tasks on the web maps. Understanding spatial cognition of web map users, which was suggested in the study, will help cartographers make more effectively-communicated maps.