Behavioral geography
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Behavioral geography is an approach to Human Geography that examines human behavior using a disaggregate approach. Behavioral Geographers focus on the cognitive processes underlying spatial reasoning, decision making, and behavior. In addition, behavioural geography is an ideology/ approach in Human Geography that makes use of the methods and assumptions of behaviourism to determine the cognitive processes involved in an individual's perception of, and/or response and reaction to its environment.
[edit] Issues in Behavioral Geography
Because of the name it is often assumed to have its roots in behaviourism. While some behavioral geographers clearly have roots in behaviorism [1][2] due to the emphasis on cognition, most can be seen as cognitively oriented. Indeed, it seems that behaviorism interest is more recent[3] and growing [4] This is particularly true in the area of human landcaping.
Behavioral geography is an approach to human geography that examines human behavior using a disaggregate approach. It draws from early, behaviorists works such as Tolman's concepts of "cognitive maps". More cognitively oreinted, behavioral geographers focus on the cognitive processes underlying spatial reasoning, decision making, and behavior. More behaviorally oriented geographers are materialists and look at the role of basic learning processes and how they influence the lanscape patterns or even group identity[5].
The cognitive processes include environmental perception and cognition, wayfinding, the construction of cognitive maps, place attachment, the development of attitudes about space and place, decisions and behavior based on imperfect knowledge of one's environs, and numerous other topics.
The approach adopted in behavioral geography is closely related to that of psychology, but draws on research findings from a multitude of other disciplines including economics, sociology, anthropology, transportation planning, and many others.
[edit] References
- ^ Norton, W. (2001). Initiating an affair human geography and behavior analysis. The Behavior Analyst Today, 2 (4), 283-290[1]
- ^ Norton, W. (2002) Explaining Landscape Change: Group Identity and Behavior. The Behavior Analyst Today, 3 (2), 155 -160BAO
- ^ Glass, J.E. (2007). Behavior analytic grounding of sociological social constructionism. The Behavior Analyst Today 8(4),426-433 BAO
- ^ Norton, W. (2001). Initiating an affair human geography and behavior analysis. The Behavior Analyst Today, 2 (4), 283-290[2].
- ^ Norton, W. (1997). Human geography and behavior analysis: An application of behavior analysis to the evolution of human landscapes. The Psychological Record, 47, 439-460
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