Two experiments used fifth grade students to test the hypothesis that conjointly presented verbal/spatial information facilitates retrieval from either stimulus format. Results support the notion of conjoint retention which assumes that related verbal/spatial arrays are stored in a fashion which allows separate use of both formats during…

Nine experiments were performed to verify and extend studies on sex differences in problem solving conducted in the 1950s by Sweeney, Carey, Milton, Nakamura, and Berry. A 20-item problem set was administered to over 1,000 college students. Results indicated a male advantage, averaging 35 percent, virtually identical with 1950s results. (Author/BS)

Reanalysis of data for 13,200 twelfth-grade students indicated that sex has a significant effect on mathematics achievement even after controlling for sex differences in spatial abilities and background and interest in mathematics. Women tend to have less spatial visualization ability, and its effects on mathematics achievement are greater for…

Investigated relationships between visual-spatial abilities and achievement and what influence these abilities have on the high attribution rate characteristic of many introductory college-level science courses. Results, among others, using physics students (N=136) and nonscience majors (N=52), indicate that visual-spatial abilities influence…

Results of four related studies revealed (1) a trend toward better differentiation of the color attribute from four years through college-age; and (2) a possible stage of development, occurring before children can organize stimulus values conceptually or multidimensionally, in which they are able to organize or "dimensionalize" stimulus values…

After reviewing the postwar development of British policy on technical education, this essay cites research implying that technical students' abilities differ from university students' chiefly in verbal skills, and contends that the abilities actually needed for technical occupations may be largely unrecognized and undervalued by teachers and…

This study investigated differential group performance on a spatial rotation test. A 19-item multiple-choice test was administered to a random sample of 107 students in grades 5 to 8 in an elementary school and a gymnasium (secondary school) in Cyprus. No gender differences were found on the overall score or on item-level performance. Items…

This paper investigates one high school student's use of gestures in an interview context in which he worked on the problem of understanding graphical representations of motion. The goal of the investigation was to contribute a detailed analysis of the process of learning as it occurred over a short time period in order to contribute to the…

This study reports on cultural and gender differences in the spatial abilities of children based on the Water Level Task. The Piagetian theory of age-related developmental differences in performance on the Water Level Task was explored with Chinese and Malay children living in Singapore. Results indicate that children in this study did not perform…

This paper explores the role of one cognitive style, spatial visualization, which research suggests correlates highly with student achievement. The study focuses on: whether students with high, average, and low spatial visualization ability differ in their preferred learning modes (concrete experience, abstract conceptualization, reflective…

A report on some pilot research which explores ways of investigating the mathematics used in two professional crafts: upholstery and gardening. The paper considers observations and conversations in the light of J. Lave and E. Wenger's theory of situated cognition. It describes a situation in which cognition had to be transferred because of a…

The performance of 114 New Zealand children of European and Polynesian descent on spatial relations tasks was examined, following their interaction with another child of either the same or different cognitive level. Nonconservers were found to benefit from interaction relative to no interaction more than were partial conservers. (AOS)

Two experiments were conducted to investigate how children remember distance and location of landmarks in a large-scale environment. The effects of cueing and suggesting a step-counting strategy on four- and nine-year-old children's ability to recall events on a jogging course were explored. (Author/PP)

Briefly reviews research studies focusing on sex differences in the human brain. One study suggests that the presence of androgens either during fetal development or at puberty (rather than their continued presence) determines spatial ability. Cautions against accepting this hypothesis of hormonal influence of spatial ability are discussed.…

Twenty preschoolers and 10 student teachers were asked to reconstruct the complete layout of their classroom by using a small-scale model as well as by using life-size furniture in the classroom itself. Children's performances were significantly better in the classroom than they were on the model. (Author/MP)