THE MEASUREMENT OF COGNITIVE DISTANCE - METHODS AND CONSTRUCT-VALIDITY

Cognitive distances are mental representations of large-scale environmental distances that cannot be perceived from a single vantage point but require movement through the environment for their apprehension. A comprehensive review of techniques for measuring cognitive distance is organized around five classes of methods: ratio scaling, interval/ordinal scaling, mapping, reproduction, and route choice. Advantages and disadvantages of each class are discussed, with particular reference to assessing estimation accuracy, and to their usefulness in various research contexts. Several general issues related to construct validity are also discussed. © 1991 Academic Press Limited.