The mental maps of British school leavers

Abstract

Gould P. R. and White R. R. (1968) The mental maps of British school leavers, Reg. Studies 2, 161–182. Mental maps, or residential perception surfaces, are constructed for pupils about to leave twenty-three schools in Britain. While the surfaces vary with the locations of the schools, all display remarkably consistent patterns. A cartographic model is presented in which the mental map at a specific location is generated by convoluting a general, or national perception surface with a local effect in the form of a dome centered on the point of perception.