This study investigated the incidence of learning disabilities in 105 children (ages 6-18) with neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF-1). Results found that nearly 70% of the subjects were academically deficient and 42% met the criteria for learning disabilities. A low incidence of visuospatial-constructional deficits was also found. (Author/CR)

Defines and discusses anamorphic art and describes an anamorphic art activity using the reflection of mirrored cylinders through a grid system. Particularly suitable for algebra or geometry classes. Requires some minimal skills from coordinate geometry and spatial visualization. (AIM)

Conducted a series of experiments in German, Dutch, French, Italian, and English to show that four factors systematically interact when people interpret spatial expressions: the reference object being intrinsically oriented or not; the preposition that is used; the social characteristics of the discourse situation; and the prepositional inventory…

Presents a contrastive analysis of English and Japanese demonstratives based on the first- (L1) and second-language (L2) data of an earlier study. First, the traditional explanations and their alternative models for English and Japanese are presented, then, all models are tested with the L1 and L2 data, which leads to a discussion of the different…

Compared male and female four-year-olds' performance on a kinesthetic acuity test (KAT) with or without extra visual-spatial cues and on a measure of visual-spatial ability. Found that all children performed better on the KAT with extra cues and that boys scored higher on visual-spatial ability and performed better on the KAT only with extra cues.…

Identified subjects' handedness and family handedness (genetic variables) and college major (environmental variable); and tested subjects on the Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test. Found that right-handed females with non-right-handed relatives and with science or math majors outperformed other females and equaled the performance of males on the…

Investigated intra-individual development of ability to modify the size of a human figure drawing. Found through longitudinal data that children between ages 7 and 9 were able to reduce drawing size. Discovered that the larger the figure initially, the more complex the level of spatial axes system, and the more persons in the picture, the greater…

Presents the Picasso Masterpiece problem to develop spatial reasoning in students. Addresses the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Geometry Content Standards. (Author/NB)

Developed a standardized self-report scale of environmental spatial ability, the Santa Barbara Sense of Direction Scale and evaluated it in six studies with 544 college students. Results supported the reliability of the scale and suggested that the scale is related to tasks that require one to update location in space as a result of self-motion.…

The study with 250 undergraduates taking a biology course found that when students low in spatial cognition were given remedial exercises to enhance spatial understanding their grades in biology improved though students initially high in spatial ability continued to have a higher level of proficiency. (Author/DB)

Relates the development of theories concerning gender differences in mental ability and reexamines them using meta-analysis. Finds that the greatest difference is in one type of spatial ability, mental rotation. There is only a small difference in mathematical performance, and no difference in verbal ability. (DM)

Scores on the Cognitive Laterality Battery for 57 boys, aged 9-11, indicated that both urban and rural-remote Alaska Native boys had significantly higher visuospatial abilities than verbal-sequential abilities, but the reverse was true for urban Alaskan White boys. Contains 34 references. (SV)

Reviews visualization research concerning the objects of visualization, the visualization process, and visualization in educational situations. Teaching procedures, the role of material and the social environment, and how the individual interacts with that environment are described. (YP)

A form perception theory is proposed in an attempt to understand problems in mental rotation and in perception of forms rotated in the frontal-parallel plane. The theory, along with distinctions among four types of information, was supported by two mental and three visual experiments with 74 undergraduate students. (TJH)

The article describes a project in which blind and partially sighted children used a computer-guided floor turtle to develop spatial concepts such as right and left and accurate facing movements. (Author/DB)