Spatial skills are known to vary widely among normal individuals. This project was designed to address whether these individual differences are differentially related to large-scale environmental learning from route (ground-level) and survey (aerial) perspectives. Participants learned two virtual environments (route and survey) with limited…

Two processing abilities used to solve spatial problems are examined: (1) the analog ability of structural visualization; and (2) the non-analog ability of verbal analytic reasoning. The distinction is based on an evaluation of information processing theory and a review of process-oriented studies of individual differences. Criteria are presented…

Strategic differences in spatial tasks are explained in terms of different cognitive coordinate systems that subjects adopt such as standard versus arbitrary, task-defined axes. A theoretical account of mental rotation of individuals of low and high spatial ability solving problems from psychometric tests is instantiated as computer simulation…

In both 1960 and 1980, the same test of spatial-visual ability was given to national probability samples of high school seniors in the United States. The students in 1960 were participants in Project TALENT and in 1980 were participants in "High School and Beyond." In addition, a reading comprehension test was given to the 1960 students…