behavioral geography

the study of the cognitive processes by which humans form an understanding of their environment and the influence of these processes and this understanding on behavior. Researchers in the field are particularly interested in the analysis of cognitive maps, seeking to answer such questions as how well these maps correspond to the environments they represent and how people utilize them in understanding their surroundings and in making decisions about how to behave. For example, some behavioral geographers attempt to explain criminal activity or risk taking (e.g., living in flood plains) in terms of such an approach.

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Psychology term of the day

December 26th 2024

false self

in the object relations theory of British psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott (1896–1971), the self that develops as a defense against impingements and in adaptation to the environment. This contrasts with the true self, which develops in an environment that adapts to the infant and allows him or her to discover and express true impulses.