The Differential Salience of Spatial Information Features in the Geometric Reproductions of Young Children |
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Authors: | Rosemary A. Rosser Kathleen P. Campbell Patricia F. Horan |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Educational Psychology , University of Arizona , USA;2. Department of Psychology , North Carolina State University , USA |
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Abstract: | To assess the differential salience of geometric features embedded in spatial displays, 60 preschool children, 3 to 5 years old, were required to reconstruct a series of geometric displays. Each arrangement included the depiction of a topological feature, unconnectedness; a Euclidean feature, linearity; and a projective feature, orientation. Children built their reconstructions under two demand conditions. The reconstructions were scored for the number that preserved each of the different geometric features. Results from a mixed-design analysis of variance revealed main effects for age, demand condition, and geometric feature, as well as for several first-order interactions. Data indicated that the Euclidean feature was the most salient and most frequently preserved characteristic and that the topological and projective ones were more problematic. The findings were discussed as a contrast to Piagetian predictions. |
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