How maps work : representation, visualization, and design

Title:

Personal Author:

MacEachren, Alan M.

Publication Information:

New York, NY : Guilford Press, 2004

ISBN:

9781572300408

Subject Term:

Cartography

Available:*

Library	Item Barcode	Call Number	Material Type	Item Category 1	Status
Searching... PSZ JB	30000010138624	GA105.3 M32 2004	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown
Searching... PSZ KL	30000010156339	GA105.3 M32 2004	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown

Now available in paperback for the first time, this classic work presents a cognitive-semiotic framework for understanding how maps work as powerful, abstract, and synthetic spatial representations. Explored are the ways in which the many representational choices inherent in mapping interact with information processing and knowledge construction, and how the resulting insights can be used to make informed symbolization and design decisions. A new preface to the paperback edition situates the book within the context of contemporary technologies. As the nature of maps continues to evolve, Alan MacEachren emphasizes the ongoing need to think systematically about the ways people interact with and use spatial information.

Author Notes

Alan M. MacEachren is currently Professor of Geography and Director of the GeoVISTA Center at The Pennsylvania State University.

Reviews 1

Choice Review

MacEachren's book should be required reading for anyone making maps, especially those meant to communicate ideas to audiences interested in geographic arrangements of data and their relationships. MacEachren once and for all binds cartography to the fields of perception and cognition through systematic exploration of how concerns of accomplished cartographers mesh with broader issues of information processing and transfer. Maps can now be made by anyone with access to not-very-powerful computers, and examples of poorly executed and even more poorly conceived maps abound. Because a key strength of geographic information systems (GIS) is their built-in cartographic display capabilities, one hopes this will lead to the production of truly effective maps. As with spoken and written language, communication through the use of maps is best accomplished when initiators of information exchanges consider how their products and their components will be received and understood by map readers. MacEachren discusses many of these considerations, including vision and interpretation of what is seen, symbolic representation of things and ideas, and map readers' visualizations of abstract displays. Upper-division undergraduates and above. C. E. Tiedemann; University of Illinois at Chicago

1. Taking a Scientific Approach to Improving Map Representation and Design	p. 1
Toward Functional Maps	p. 2
Cartography as Graphic Communication	p. 3
Objections to Scope and Method	p. 6
Art and Science	p. 8
Deconstructing the Discipline	p. 10
Taking a Fresh Approach to Symbolization and Design Research	p. 11
Organization of This Book	p. 16
I. How Meaning Is Derived from Maps	p. 21
2. An Information-Processing View of Vision and Visual Cognition	p. 25
Marr's Approach to Vision	p. 27
Visual Cognition	p. 33
Processing of Visual Stimuli	p. 33
Processing of Imagery	p. 46
Conclusion	p. 49
3. How Maps Are Seen	p. 51
Eye-Brain System	p. 53
The Eye	p. 54
Eye to Brain	p. 63
Brain	p. 63
Perceptual Organization and Attention	p. 68
Grouping	p. 71
What We Attend To	p. 80
Selective Attention and Separability of Visual Dimensions	p. 81
Divided Attention and Variable Conjunctions	p. 87
Associativity of Graphic Variables	p. 91
Indispensable Variables	p. 92
Where We Attend	p. 94
Location	p. 94
Scale	p. 96
Scanning the Visual Scene	p. 101
Figure-Ground	p. 107
Heterogeneity	p. 110
Bottom-Up versus Top-Down Processing	p. 117
Visual Levels	p. 120
Perceptual Categorization and Judgment	p. 123
Detection	p. 124
Discrimination	p. 127
Text Discrimination	p. 127
Point Feature Discrimination	p. 128
Pattern Discrimination	p. 130
Color Discrimination	p. 132
Motion Discrimination	p. 133
Judging Order	p. 134
Judging Relative Manitude	p. 135
Perceiving Depth from a Two-Dimensional Scene	p. 136
A Taxonomy of Depth Cues	p. 137
Applying Depth Cues to Maps	p. 139
Physiological Approaches	p. 139
Perspective Approaches	p. 139
Nonperspective Approaches	p. 141
Summary	p. 147
4. How Maps Are Understood: Visual Array to Visual Description [left and right arrow] Kowledge Schemata [left and right arrow] Cognitive Representation	p. 150
Mental Categories	p. 151
Prototype Effects	p. 153
Family Resemblance	p. 155
Fuzzy Categories	p. 156
Typicality Effects	p. 158
Maps as a Radial Category	p. 160
Basic-Level Categories	p. 162
Natural versus Cultural Category Structures	p. 167
Multiple Representations	p. 168
Multiple Representations: Common and Scientific	p. 168
Fuzzy Representations of Well-Defined Concepts	p. 169
Knowledge Representation	p. 170
Kinds of Knowledge Representation	p. 171
Kinds of Knowledge Schemata	p. 174
Propositional Schemata	p. 176
Image Schemata	p. 185
Event Schemata (Scripts and Plans)	p. 190
Development and Application of Cognitive Schemata	p. 193
How Map Schemata Are Developed	p. 193
Physiological Bases for Map Schemata	p. 194
Developmental Bases for Map Schemata	p. 195
General-to-Specific Map Schemata	p. 198
How Map Schemata Are Selected	p. 202
How Map Schemata Are Used	p. 205
Conclusion	p. 209
II. How Maps Are Imbued with Meaning	p. 213
5. A Primer on Semiotics for Understanding Map Representation	p. 217
The Nature of Signs	p. 218
Models of the Sign	p. 219
Typology of Signs	p. 222
Typology of Discourse	p. 225
How Signs Signify: Specificity or Levels of Meaning	p. 228
Typology of Comprehension (or Miscomprehension)	p. 232
The Nature of Sign Systems	p. 234
Dimensions of Semiosis	p. 234
Systemology	p. 238
Semiotic Economy	p. 239
Simultaneity versus Articulation	p. 240
Combinatorial Relations	p. 241
Application of the Semiotic Approach to Map Representation	p. 242
6. A Functional Approach to Map Representation: The Semantics and Syntactics of Map Signs	p. 244
The Nature of Map Signs-Map Semantics	p. 245
Sign-Vehicle as Mediator	p. 246
Referent as Mediator	p. 250
Interpretant as Mediator	p. 256
The Nature of Map Sign Systems-Map Syntactics: Logical Interrelationships	p. 269
Visual Variables and Syntactic Rules	p. 270
Static Visual Maps	p. 270
Static Tactile Maps	p. 276
Dynamic Visual Maps	p. 278
Dynamic Audio Maps	p. 287
Sign-Vehicle Sets	p. 290
Multiple Linked Sign Systems	p. 295
Maps as Signs	p. 302
Map Sign Comprehension	p. 305
Discussion	p. 307
7. A Lexical Approach to Map Representation: Map Pragmatics	p. 310
Meaning in Maps	p. 312
Space, Time, and Attribute Denotation	p. 312
Denoting Spatial Position	p. 313
Denoting Temporal Position	p. 315
Denoting Attributes of Position in Space-Time	p. 317
Specificity of Signs	p. 321
Singular versus General Signs	p. 321
Unambiguous versus Ambiguous Signs	p. 323
Monosemic versus Polysemic Sign Systems	p. 325
Directness of Reference: Literality of Interpretants	p. 325
Concreteness of Signs: Concept versus Phenomenon Representations	p. 327
Etymology and Cultural Specificity of Meaning	p. 329
Meaning of Maps	p. 330
Connotative Meaning of Map Signs	p. 331
Extrasignificant Codes	p. 332
A Typology of Map Connotation	p. 336
The Map Itself as an Implicit Code	p. 338
Connotation of Veracity: Truth and Reality	p. 338
Connotation of Integrity: Map Ethics	p. 340
Valuative Connotations: Judgments	p. 342
Connotations of Power: Territorial Control	p. 345
Incitive Connotations: Persuasion to Action	p. 348
Can Connotations Be Measured?	p. 349
Synopsis and Directions	p. 351
III. How Maps Are Used: Applications in Geographic Visualization	p. 355
8. GVIS: Facilitating Visual Thinking	p. 361
A Model of Feature Matching	p. 362
Linking Perceptual Organization and Map Syntactics	p. 367
Indispensable Variables	p. 368
2-D Space	p. 369
Simulated 3-D	p. 370
Time	p. 376
Scale and Resolution	p. 380
Space	p. 380
Attributes	p. 384
Time	p. 385
Spatial Feature Enhancement through Graphic Variable Manipulation	p. 386
Using Monochrome Variables	p. 387
Using Color Variables	p. 389
The Role of Categories and Schemata	p. 392
Conclusions	p. 398
9. GVIS: Relationships in Space and Time	p. 401
Feature Comparison: Looking for Relationships in Multidimensional Data	p. 401
Space	p. 402
Orientation	p. 409
Color	p. 411
Time	p. 416
Focusing	p. 418
Sound	p. 419
Space-Time Processes	p. 422
Categorizing Space-Time Phenomena	p. 423
Mapping Temporal Entities to Display Variables	p. 425
Exploring Space-Time Processes: Kinds of Interaction	p. 427
Process Tracking	p. 428
Postprocessing	p. 429
Process Steering	p. 432
Discussion	p. 433
10. GVIS: Should We Believe What We See?	p. 435
How to Judge "Truth" in GVIS	p. 435
Truth of Signs in the Display	p. 436
Truth of the Display as Sign: Seeing Wrong versus Not Seeing	p. 444
What "Truth" Is in GVIS	p. 447
Visual Thinking and Cognitive Gravity	p. 448
Public Presentation and Implicit Connotation	p. 452
Discussion	p. 456
Postscript	p. 459
References	p. 463
Author Index	p. 491
Subject Index	p. 497

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Author Notes

Reviews 1

Choice Review

Table of Contents