Understanding Geographic Space Without the Use of Vision

不使用视觉了解地理空间

• 批准号: 9514907
• 负责人: Reginald Golledge
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Barbara
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1996
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1996-07-01 至 1999-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9514907&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Understanding; Geographic; Space; Without; Use

U. of California, Santa Barbara This project examines the extent to which blind and vision impaired people can develop and use in everyday tasks, spatial information at the `geographic` scale. The methodology will utilize matched groups of congenitally blind individuals (blind from birth), partially sighted and sighted participants. Matching will be by age, sex, culture and socio-economic factors. Tasks to be used in the research include location, distance estimation, model building, direction finding and route following. Information will be obtained from the participants and subsequently compared by using verbal instructions and videotaping of question and answer sessions. The analysis will also make use of debriefing sessions, preliminary consultative and background interviews. The resulting data will be analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The research will have a cross cultural component where information on cognitive mapping and human navigation will be compared between the U.S. and the U.K. These studies will be closely matched to allow direct comparison. This aspect of the research is important because of the debate as to whether the concept of disability is functionally driven. Blind and vision impaired persons in the U.S. have been faced with a `normalization, independent and self-help` ethic whereas in the U.K. there is a `social welfare` ethic of assistance. Dr Mark Blades at University of Sheffield and Dr Robert Kitchin at University of Swansea will participate in this aspect of the work. Scale effects and cross-cultural comparisons have been largely ignored in work on spatial cognition of blind and vision impaired. The research addresses basic problems relating to theories of spatial cognition by this disabled group, as well as, practical problems of the ways in which spatial abilities and actions by blind and vision impaired people can be enhanced in a manner that influences their quality of life. The results will contribute to the body of information revealing how the visually impaired and blind think about and behave in an everyday geographic environment. This enhanced understanding has important policy implications concerning planning and education. In addition the work will likely provide information on ways this group's wayfinding and orientation skills may be enhanced.

联合该项目研究盲人和视力受损者在日常工作中开发和使用“地理”尺度空间信息的程度。该方法将利用匹配的先天性盲人（天生失明），部分视力和视力的参与者群体。匹配将按年龄、性别、文化和社会经济因素进行。研究中使用的任务包括定位，距离估计，模型建立，测向和路线跟踪。将从参与者那里获得信息，然后通过口头指示和问答录像进行比较。分析还将利用情况汇报会、初步协商和背景访谈。将对所得数据进行定量和定性分析。这项研究将有一个跨文化的组成部分，在美国和英国之间比较认知地图和人类导航的信息。这些研究将密切匹配，以便进行直接比较。这方面的研究是重要的，因为辩论是否残疾的概念是功能驱动的。在美国，盲人和视力受损者面临着“正常化、独立和自助”的道德观，而在英国，有一种“社会福利”的援助伦理。谢菲尔德大学的马克·布雷兹博士和斯旺西大学的罗伯特·基钦博士将参与这方面的工作。在盲人和视障者空间认知的研究中，规模效应和跨文化比较在很大程度上被忽视了。该研究解决了与这一残疾群体的空间认知理论有关的基本问题，以及盲人和视力受损者的空间能力和行动如何以影响其生活质量的方式得到提高的实际问题。研究结果将有助于揭示视障者和盲人在日常地理环境中的思维和行为方式。这一认识的提高对规划和教育具有重要的政策影响。此外，这项工作可能会提供有关如何提高这一群体的寻路和定向技能的信息。