Two experiments studied nine-year-olds, l3-year-olds, and adults in their encoding of two kinds of stimuli taken from a psychometric measure of spatial aptitude. The first experiment used letter-like stimuli; the second employed multi-element flags. (CI)

Two experiments (one using models and diagrams, one using slides) were carried out to investigate how remedial instruction may be given to students who have difficulties in visualizing the diagrammatic representation of a three-dimensional structure after the structure has been rotated. (Author/BW)

Compares monocular depth perception with binocular depth perception in five- to seven-month-old infants. Reaching preferences (dependent measure) observed in the monocular condition indicated sensitivity to monocular depth information. Binocular viewing resulted in a far more consistent tendency to reach for the nearer object. (Author)

Despite mathematicians valuing the ability to visualize a problem and psychologists finding positive correlations of visual-spatial ability with success in mathematics, many educationists remain unconvinced about the benefits of visualization for mathematical understanding. This paper describes research that compared a "visual" to a "verbal"…

Solving problems in a visuospatial domain, such as astronomy, may require not only knowledge about the phenomena within the domain but an ability to instantiate knowledge spatially to generate solutions, as well. Spatial ability assessments and interviews of undergraduates show that problem-solving ability can be limited regardless of the…

This paper examines the differences between student performance on two separate measures, the Spatial Visualization portion of the "Differential Aptitude Test" and the "Geometry Content Knowledge Test." Results from the hybrid quantitative/qualitative study indicate that although there were no differences in performance on spatial visualization…

In three experiments kindergarteners and third graders encountered a large-scale space from one perspective and were then asked to recall the location of objects from the same or different perspective. Cross-experiment analyses indicated that accuracy was related to the type of spatial layout rather than the type of encounter. (Author/MP)

After viewing pictures of simple objects varied in color and spatial location, first, third, and fifth graders were assessed for their abilities in automatic processing of spatial and color information. In general, no evidence was found to suggest that the processing strategies of younger children were less sophisticated than those of older…

Explains Piaget's concepts of "subject-object" and "subsystem" interactions in problem solving and describes a test that substantiates Piaget's hypothesis and points to antecedent conditions that appear to stimulate imaginal structures. (SB)

College students who identified adolescent activities that involve spatial skills judged more of such activities to be masculine. More males than females reported having participated in spatial activities. In a second study, a correlation was found between students' participation in spatial activities and their spatial ability as measured by an…

Whether differences in aptitude and experiences explain sex differences in proportional reasoning is examined. Subjects were pupils in grades seven, nine, and 11 from three school districts. Results indicated proportional reasoning occurs infrequently for both sexes, with males performing slightly better. Aptitude and experience measures did not…

Piaget's theory of development suggests that geographic education should be extended to preschool years when children begin to codify and systematize the world about them. Professional educators should be aware of restrictive environments and help discourage overly structured preschools. Preschool teachers should have training in geography…

Provides suggestions for teaching spatial relationships to preschool through primary age children, indicating that they need considerable firsthand experience to understand such relationships among objects. Several activities for teaching "opposites" and relative position are recommended, including the use of classroom puppets as vehicles for…

Investigated orientation while walking through an unfamiliar route within a larger familiar environment. Found instructions made no difference to accuracy but backwards counting led to larger increases in error. Concluded orientation within complex real-world environments may not be best understood by studying performance in artificial mazes.…

Subjects judged whether aerial views would be seen by an observer oriented in various ways. For practiced subjects, time to answer was an approximately linear function of number of abstract spatial dimensions on which aerial view and observer's orientation were consistent. Ability correlated with linearity of response-time. (Author/RD)