Social spatial cognition

Social spatial cognition refers to the interaction between self, place, and partners, with emphasis on the impact of the social environment on spatial behavior and on how individual spatial representations converge to form collective spatial behavior i.e., common places and routes. Recent studies suggest that in addition to their mental representation (cognitive map) of the physical environment, humans and other animals also have a social cognitive map. We suggest that while social spatial cognition relies on knowledge of both the physical and the social environments, it is the latter hat predominates. This dominance is illustrated here in the modulation of spatial behavior according to dynamic social interactions, ranging from group formation to an attenuation of drug-induced stereotypy through the mere presence of a normal subject. Consequently we suggest that the numerous studies on the biobehavioral controlling mechanisms of spatial behavior (i.e. the hippocampal formation, animal models for mental disorders) should also consider the social environment rather than solely focusing on the spatial behavior of lone animals.

Automated summary

Social spatial cognition focuses on the interaction between self, place, and partners, emphasizing the impact of the social environment on spatial behavior and the convergence of individual spatial representations into collective spatial behavior. Studies suggest that humans and animals have both cognitive maps of the physical environment and social cognitive maps. Social spatial cognition relies on knowledge of the physical and social environments, with the latter predominantly influencing spatial behavior modulation through dynamic social interactions.