Research on Interactive Relationship between Terrain Cognition and Spatial Behavior in Small-Scale Environment: A Case Study of Pukou Campus in Nanjing University

Although the interactive relationship between terrain cognition and spatial behavior plays an important role in human-environment relationships, few studies have explored this issue which has been recently paid more attention in behavioral geography. To examine such relationship in daily activities, the Pukou Campus in Nanjing University is chosen as a study area. On the basis of pre-research, the stratified proportional sampling method is used to obtain the samples in the survey of the terrain cognition and spatial behavior respectively, while sketch mapping and verbal description methods are also employed to collect the data. Then the data were analyzed by using the coding method of the geographical elements and attributes, public maps of terrain cognition and spatial behavior, overlay and buffer analysis, bias correlation. Some conclusions can be drawn as follows: (1) The rank orders of elevation cognition of terrain have been coded in subject's cognitive map, and most parts of spatial pattern of terrain in the case area have been recognized. (2) Most major points of campus activities are correlated with requisite activities, while more minor points of campus activities are in relation to spontaneous activities and social activities. The routes of requisite activities which lined the living area and teaching area are straight-line and distributed in south of the campus. Moreover the routes of spontaneous activities which lined more stadium and landscape are scattered in campus. (3) There is interactive relationship between terrain cognition and spatial behavior. The spatial pattern of behavior is influenced by terrain cognition, but such influence is mediated by the motive and cognition of efficiency. The spatial behavior is among the dominant factors of terrain cognition and vise versa, and its effect is mediated by the motive and period of behavior. (4) It is the location of dorm instead of gender and subject that significantly influences the interactive relationship between terrain cognition and spatial behavior. Finally the insufficiency and future direction of research is discussed.