This paper describes a research work which main objective is to evaluate pictographic symbols by map reading tasks. These tasks were based on visual perception and cognition related to detection, discrimination and recognition. The users´ tasks were accomplished with the help of a map that was designed and printed for this very research, and the map tasks were at the basic level of map reading. The test participants were divided in to groups: the ones that know the geographic area and the ones that are not acquainted to this area. The results of the test show that the recognition symbol is not only related to the pregnancy of form but also to the knowledge about the geographic area. Besides the level of knowledge about the geographic area, the geographic location was the most influent factor on symbol recognition. Since the first symbols to be perceived by the participants were those in the central region of the map, in the border of symbols´ clusters or even inside symbols´ clusters, the influence of geographic location is stronger than the pregnancy of form. In conclusion, the most influent factor on symbol detection was the symbols' clusters, however the closer were the symbols the more difficult were to discriminate them.
Tourist Maps; Map Reading; Gestalt Laws; Pictorial Symbols
