The Mental Maps of Children: Images of Coventry's city centre

The manner in which children perceive and depict space was found to be considerably influenced by age. A sample group of 11-18-year-olds in a large comprehensive school was asked to draw maps of the centre of the city in which they lived. These images were classified according to Lynch's five spatial elements and tested for information and completeness, shape and form, map style and accuracy. The results suggest that differences exist between children of different age groups in terms of how they cognise space. The maps of the youngest children portrayed a limited part of the cityscape. Their mental images were made up of scattered buildings which they found difficult to relate to other parts of the city. Their sense of relatedness was not highly developed and as a result the maps were often confused and distorted. With time and experience, knowledge of the urban form expands and 18-year-olds are able to cognise large-scale spaces more clearly and to represent these “in a more sophisticated and accurate way. Other factors are recognised to influence the development and form of these mental maps, but age is an influence which needs closer examination.