Where am I? Who am I? The relation between spatial cognition, social cognition and individual differences in the built environment

Abstract

Kflowing who we are, and where we are, are two fundamental aspefits of our physical and mental experience. Althoffgh the domains of spatial and social cognition are often studied independently, a few recent areas of scholarship have explored the interactions of place and self. This fits in with increasing evidence for embodied theories of cognition, where mental processes are grounded in action and perception. Who we are fight be integrated with where we are, and impact flow we move through space. Individuals vary in personality, navigational strategies, and numerous cognitive and social competencies. Here we review the relation between social and spatial spheres of existence in the realms of philosopffical considerations, neural and psychological representations, and evolutionary context, and flow we fight use the built environment to suit who we are, or flow it creates who we are. In particular we investigate flow two spatial reference frames, egocentric and allocentric, fight transcend into the social realm. We then speculate on flow environmefits may interact with spatial cognition. Finally, we suggest flow a framework encompassing spatial and social cognition fight be taken in consideration by architefits and urban planners.