Geographical Thinking Versus Spatial Thinking

Geographical thinking and spatial thinking are closely interconnected and supportive of each other. Spatial thinking can be understood as a component of geographical thinking, and at the same time, it can be thought of as a way of thinking equivalent to geographical thinking. Geographical thinking involves the perspective and tools used by geographers to interpret the world and address relevant problems, revealing itself through the analysis of geographers’ research achievements. It is a multifaceted concept consisting of three main components: spatial, integrative, and relational thinking. Spatial thinking, on the other hand, involves the knowledge, skills, and cognitive abilities required to use space-related concepts, representation tools, and reasoning processes to solve problems and express solutions. This domain-general approach allows spatial thinking to develop unique characteristics within each academic field.