CHARACTERISTICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SPATIAL COGNITION
Commentary on Bryant on Space

Abstract

Bryant (1992) proposes a unitary spatial representation system (SRS) constructs spatial knowledge representations based on input from either linguistic descriptions of environments or perceptual information acquired while directly experiencing environments, or both. In this commentary, I discuss some of the characteristics of the spatial-cognitive system that Bryant has touched upon, particularly those dealing with large-scale, or environmental, spaces. Attempts to build a common framework for understanding both spatial and linguistic cognition are interesting and laudable, especially if one believes that linguistic cognition evolved from nonlinguistic cognitive systems such as those responsible for spatial cognition. In addition to examining the spatial representations derived from linguistic descriptions, much of value could be gained by examining the linguistic descriptions derived from spatial representations, either external or internal.

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