Final answer:
Firefighters' training to walk through buildings and drive around is aimed at developing a c. cognitive map, which is a mental representation of the environment that aids in efficient navigation during emergencies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Firefighters walking through local buildings and driving trucks are engaging in training aimed at developing a cognitive map. This term refers to a mental representation of the physical environment that helps individuals navigate spaces effectively. The cognitive map is crucial for firefighters as they must quickly move through complex environments in emergency situations. When they familiarize themselves with buildings and areas, they are able to retrieve this spatial information to find the best routes to rescue individuals and tackle fires.
Through frequent exposure to different situations and routes during their training, firefighters build detailed cognitive maps that can be life-saving. Psychologist Edward Tolman's work helps us understand this process, as he found that rats used cognitive maps to navigate mazes, which is similar to how firefighters learn to maneuver through various environments.
In contrast to functional fixedness, a mental set, or algorithms, a cognitive map is not tied to using objects in a specific way, sticking to a specific way of thinking, or following a predetermined set of instructions. Instead, it is about the mental representation of territory or space. Building a cognitive map allows for flexible problem-solving in new or rapidly changing environments.