Spatial distance and cartographic background complexity in graduated point symbol map-reading task

ABSTRACT

Effectiveness and efficiency of graduated point symbol maps could be affected by several factors. One of them is the spatial distance between symbols. This study conducted an experiment with two map-reading tasks. The first compared two circular symbols, deciding which one is larger. The second task was to order three symbols from smallest to largest. There were four spatial distance conditions between compared symbols along with four different visually complex cartographic backgrounds (with more and more information). The study recorded the participants’ eye movements. Eye-tracking metrics captured participants’ visual strategy during map-reading tasks. The results show that when comparing symbol size, spatial distance affects the effectiveness and efficiency of comparing symbols of graduated point symbol maps despite the rising complexity of the cartographic background. Increased spatial distance between symbols causes the rise of participants’ fixation in general. This study helps to understand visual strategy while comparing symbols on graduated point symbol maps and could support map designers.

KEYWORDS:

• Cartography
• map reading
• graduated point symbols
• eye tracking
• spatial distance
• background complexity

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank both anonymous reviewers for their fruitful comments and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.