Cognitive mapping

Cognitive mapping refers to the mental process by which individuals construct, store, recall, and apply internal representations of their spatial environment to navigate and orient themselves. These mental maps encode relationships between landmarks, routes, and regions, and vary significantly in accuracy and completeness across individuals. For people with cognitive impairments, dementia, or intellectual disabilities, cognitive mapping is often compromised—leading to disorientation, anxiety, and dependence on caregiver support during navigation. Effective inclusive navigation design supports cognitive mapping by maintaining consistent visual cues, aligning digital representations with real-world environments, and providing multimodal wayfinding aids that reinforce spatial memory without overwhelming working memory.