UDC 372.891

Khristoforova D.A.¹ (Ufa, Russian Federation) – dreamer26645@gmail.com; Khizbullina R.Z.¹ (Ufa, Russian Federation) – hizbullina@yandex.ru; Dorovsky A.A.¹ (Ufa, Russian Federation) – sterli1995@mail.ru; Sayfullin I.Yu.¹ (Ufa, Russian Federation) – adelmur@mail.ru; Adelmurzina I.F.¹ (Ufa, Russian Federation) – irekle@mail.ru

¹Ufa University of Science and Technology

Abstract. The article examines the psychological effect of color on the perception of thematic maps. The cognitive processes of perception of color gradations, typical errors in the transmission of shades and effects caused by cultural and individual color associations are analyzed. Using the example of the population map of the municipalities of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the disadvantages of traditional “dark” schemes and the advantages of consistent and divergent palettes, including those implemented in the ColorBrewer tool, are shown. Special attention is paid to the subjectivity of color perception: even a colorimetrically verified map can be interpreted in different ways depending on the user’s personal experience. Examples of real cartographic errors related to non-associative use of color are given. Theoretical principles become clearer when they are illustrated with specific maps and atlases. This article provides real-world and domestic examples that can be used for self-education or in the learning process. Each example is accompanied by a brief analysis: what exactly was the error and what conclusion can be drawn from it. The color on this map encodes numerical values, rather than traditional associations (water, forest, etc.). Interpretation is based solely on lightness: darker tones correspond to larger numbers. Color should not be the main medium of information. If the data has a high spatial frequency (many small areas with different values) or if the map will be used by people, you should consider: shading; dot patterns; isolines; annotations with numbers.The process of studying a map is not a passive examination, but an active thought process. The user does not just perceive the color areas, but interprets them based on their life experience, cultural attitudes and expectations. The effectiveness of the card directly correlates with the extent to which its symbolism coincides with the user’s internal representations.

Keywords: psychology of color, cartography, color associations, perception of maps, color sensor, cognitive distortions, mental maps, sequential scales, color rendering errors, population of Bashkortostan.

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For citation: Khristoforova, D. A., Khizbullina, R. Z., Dorovsky, A. A., Saifullin, I. Yu., & Adelmurzina, I. F. (2026). The role of color perception in the cognition of cartographic information. CITISE, 2, 934-945. (In Russian).