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Reference.org
Cognitive map
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<p>A cognitive map is a type of <a href="/facts/Mental_representation/dlny9gvs">mental representation</a> used by an individual to order their personal store of information about their everyday or metaphorical spatial environment, and the relationship of its component parts. The concept was introduced by <a href="/facts/Edward_C._Tolman/j2T0w5X2">Edward Tolman</a> in 1948. He tried to explain the behavior of rats that appeared to learn the spatial layout of a maze, and subsequently the concept was applied to other animals, including humans. The term was later generalized by some researchers, especially in the field of <a href="/facts/Operations_research/H5yJkV5n">operations research</a>, to refer to a kind of <a href="/facts/Semantic_network/mt7FlP53">semantic network</a> representing an individual's personal knowledge or <a href="/facts/Schema_(psychology)/QW1j9wL8">schemas</a>. </p>