Discusses variables related to task performance in the solution of the water-level problem, where subjects were asked to indicate the water surface orientation in a tilted vessel. Subjects ages 7 to 15 years participated. Suggests that field effects and the kind of rules in use contribute to the differences in performance, which can be shown even…

Studied children's transitive inference where representation of premises provided contradictory information depending on position of two elements in a A, B, C series. Eight-year olds did significantly better on the more complex problems than did six-year olds, suggesting the presence of a developmental sequence of algorithms that enable children…

The development of children's causal knowledge is investigated by analyzing changes in the content and form of the explanations they generate across the age span of three to nine years. The balance of incremental versus fundamental change and the forms each takes in children coming to understand the working of gears are examined. Three phases of…

Studied the relationship of joint mother-child planning before and during tasks, and the ability of four and eight year olds to plan on their own. Found that older children planned more effectively, especially during tasks, and that mothers of younger children concerned themselves with task procedures rather than strategy. (MDM)

Absent reference comprehension is a critical achievement of early development, yet little is known about its emergence. In the current study, 12- and 16-month-old infants' recognition of properties of mentioned absent things was used as an index of absent reference comprehension. Infants were presented with displays matching the color and prior…

This experiment investigated the effect of children's successive encounters with a large scale environment on their subsequent reconstructions of that environment. Twenty children (10 boys, 10 girls) at each of three grade levels (kindergarten, two, and five) reconstructed from memory the spatial layout of buildings in a large model town. All…

This study examined the relationships between spatial ability, mathematics achievement, and sex for students in grades 2-7. Four spatial tests (embedded figures, serial integration, coordination of viewpoints, and rotation and development of surfaces) were used to measure spatial ability; sex and mathematics achievement, as measured by the Iowa…

Investigated whether children in kindergarten and grades 2 and 4 applied one- or two-dimensional rules in rating areas of rectangles, triangles, and ellipses. A majority of subjects produced judgments consistent with one of the rules. The findings contradict Piaget's claim that young children are limited to one-dimensional judgments. (SKC)

Two experiments showed that: 5- and 6-year-old listeners have difficulties with spatial reference if it includes "left" and "right"; and 7-year-olds understand this limitation on the comprehension skill of younger children and make appropriate allowances by using more landmarks instead. (CB)

Investigated secondary-level students' (N=66) understanding of three-dimensional structures in biology. Results suggest that student performance is highly correlated with age, scientific ability, and sex. Suggestions for instructional improvement in spatial relationships are offered. (ML)

Demonstrates how three- and four-year-old children's (N=20) learning of a completely novel route across a city district is enhanced by an accompanying adult making the child aware of potential landmarks. The importance of permanent/ephemeral landmarks in the child's verbal and modelled-map accounts of the route and educational implications are…

Several critical questions concerning the topological primacy thesis were raised in an extensive literature survey (SE 531 428). Three points related to this criticism are discussed and reinforced, including a reexamination of Laurendeau and Pinard's data (showing that they do not support the hypothesis of topological primacy in children's…

Some geometric activities are described that teachers can use to give their students experiences that will influence their spatial abilities. It is noted that the goal is to improve spatial abilities, not to increase knowledge, so individual pupil responses should not be used to judge student achievement. (MP)

Four groups of children (N=80; C.A. 6.6. to 12.5; M.A. 7.9 to 14.7) were tested for ability to reproduce five-element two- and three-dimensional patterns. Significant interaction and main effects were found. Three-dimensional pattern performance increased with age; all ages performed well on two-dimensional patterns. (Author/DB)

Examines preschool children's understanding of the mathematical significance of unit size through problems that involve making judgments about the number of larger objects versus the number of smaller objects. Elicits children's judgments about the effects of object size both before and after the presentation of a series of demonstration trials.…