The Child in the Physical Environment: Development of Spatial Knowledge and Cognition (Developmental Psychology and Its Applications) - Hardcover

This study examines the process of development of spatial knowledge during infancy and childhood, and the implications and applications of this knowledge when considering questions about the safety of children in cities and the special needs of the young in relation to their physical environment. The first part of the book provides a brief account of recent non-developmental research on the processes of environmental cognition and reviews relevant research from environmental psychology, cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence. The second and main section is concerned with the development of environmental cognition. It explores how a system of spatial knowledge develops in infancy and childhood and how spatial cognition is linked to the development of other skills. The text concludes with a study of the applications of environmental cognition research, such as its relevance to special groups like the blind and its importance to education and environmental planning.