Revisiting cartographic visual variables from a perspective of visual neuroscience
Maps are the language of geography and visual variables serve as fundamental theories in the fields of cartography.However,current research on visual variables in cartography predominantly relies on empirical description and induction,and the explanation of visual mechanism is insufficient.There are still three fundamental issues:the perceptual sequence of the visual variables is unclear,the granularity of the"shape"visual variable division is not precise,and the definition of the"location"visual variable is unclear.Based on the summary of the main visual neurons in the eye-brain system,this paper analyzes the neural mechanisms of visual variables in detail.The study uncovers several key findings:(1)The perception sequence of visual variables follows a pattern,starting with value and color,followed by simple location,orientation,size,and finally complex shape and texture.Eye-tracking experiments conducted on tourist maps show that using the feature that color can be perceived first,color can be used as a visual cue to strengthen the visual hierarchy of the map and guide the visual attention of the readers.(2)Curvature can be used as a subdivision variable of shape visual variable.The case study in the context of sustainable development mapping shows that curvature variables can be effectively used to express both qualitative and quantitative information.(3)Location can be directly and efficiently processed and recognized by visual neurons,and thus it should be defined as a visual variable.However,it should not be changed when the accuracy of graphic position is emphasized.Comparative experiments between navigation map and city image map show that the location variable can cause significant evoke differences in visual perception and emotional arousal.The research in this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the theory of visual variables and provides new visual design theory for sustainable development mapping,creative and personalized mapping.
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维普
