Getting the big picture: Development of spatial scaling abilities |
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Authors: | Andrea Frick Nora S. Newcombe |
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Affiliation: | Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall 318, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6085, United States |
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Abstract: | Spatial scaling is an integral aspect of many spatial tasks that involve symbol-to-referent correspondences (e.g., map reading, drawing). In this study, we asked 3–6-year-olds and adults to locate objects in a two-dimensional spatial layout using information from a second spatial representation (map). We examined how scaling factor and reference features, such as the shape of the layout or the presence of landmarks, affect performance. Results showed that spatial scaling on this simple task undergoes considerable development, especially between 3 and 5 years of age. Furthermore, the youngest children showed large individual variability and profited from landmark information. Accuracy differed between scaled and un-scaled items, but not between items using different scaling factors (1:2 vs. 1:4), suggesting that participants encoded relative rather than absolute distances. |
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Keywords: | Spatial cognition Spatial representation Spatial scaling Map use |
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