In their laboratory experiment Mackay and Olshavsky (1975) state ‘A number of methods can be used for externally measuring a cognitive map.' The most popular method has been the ‘draw-a-map' technique.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2018). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] Participants draw the map in their head;
2. [1] The drawing will likely include features such as landmarks, paths, nodes, districts and edges (after Lynch)
3. The drawing will contain errors (e.g. Euclidean bias)
4. The drawing will be a traditional ‘sketch map'
5. [2] Another graphic approach has been to ask subjects to draw lines indicating the distance between pairs of points on a map (Lowrey, 1970). These distances can be used directly to estimate a one dimensional cognitive map, or they can be transformed into a ratio judgment matrix and then scaled to produce a one dimensional map (Torgerson, 1958).
6. [2] multidimensional scaling uses proximity data to estimate multidimensional maps. There is an extensive multidimensional scaling (MDS) literature in psychology (Nerlove, Romney, Shepard, 1972). The configuration of spatial stimuli are often used as an estimator for a subject's internal image or cognitive map.
7. [1-2] Sketch maps are not numbers or words but drawings.
8. [1-2] Drawings are qualitative data and so relevant analysis aspects apply.
9. [1-2] Drawings could be analysed for the items included (such as Lynch's 5 common elements).
10. [1-2] Drawings could be categorised by a number of judges and agreement recorded.
11. [1] it gives an indication of what is in the mind of the participant, however poorly it is drawn.
12. [1] it is easy to do, requires little equipment, and takes very little time.
13. [1] Sketches can be compared at a glance.
14. [1] analysing sketch maps is difficult. There are no numbers or words, just drawings.
15. [1] sketch maps are prone to many typical sketch map errors such as super-ordinate scale bias.
16. [1] A sketch map is not a cognitive map.
17. [1] Conclusion: any appropriate conclusion drawn from the discussion that has been presented.