A
Developmental Study of Spatial Problem Solving
T. Yamamoto & M.Tatsuno |
To
investigate the developmental changes of spatial problem solving
ability, blindfolded kindergartners, second and third graders of
elementary school, and university students, walked with the guidance
of the experimenter through a paths having a 45, 90, or 135 degree
right or left angle at its middle point. At the end point of each
path, each subject walked directly alone toward the direction of
the beginning point of the path. The trials were repeated 12 times.
The older group revealed less angle error between the direction of
movement and the correct direction, though the average direction
of each age group concentrated toward the beginning point. The percentage
of the longer turning, which is one of the performance measures for
spatial problem solving ability, became low and the reaction time
which was needed in moving toward the beginning point became long
according to age level. The agreement between the developmental stage
of spatial thinking argued in Hart and Moore (1973) and the present
results, and the working hypothesis for the relation of the spatial
problem solving and the reaction time was discussed.
|