The Evolution of Cognitive Maps

Book excerpt: Cognitive maps, mental representations which inform thought and action, are templates for human perception and behavior. Bringing together diverse disciplines--cognitive and social psychology, biopsychology, history, physics, cosmology, chemistry, population ecology, economics, and philosophy of science--This volume comprises the revised and updated texts of the majority of papers first given at the international meeting of the General Evolution Research Group, held at the U. of Bologna, Italy in May 1989. The essays explore the development of cognitive maps from their biological and historical bases to their contemporary forms. Includes a closing commentary by Umberto Eco. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR