The process of spatial knowledge acquisition in a square and a circular virtual environment

This study investigated the effect of the environmental structure (circular vs. square environment) on spatial knowledge acquisition in a desktop virtual situation in which self-determined movement was allowed with a total of 120 participants: 7-, 8-year-old children; 11, 12-year-old children, and adults. In all measurements of spatial knowledge acquisition an overall developmental performance increase from younger children to adults was found. In contrast to that, the exploration and learning behavior did not differ between adults and children. Furthermore, the environmental structure influencedthenumber of trials needed to learn the two routes used and the distance walked to the determined landmarks. All these tasks were easier in a circular than in a square environment. This influenceofthe environmental structure was absent in the direction estimations task. The advantage of spatial knowledge acquisition in a circular environment in three of four tasks is discussed

Using virtual environments to investigate wayfinding in 8- to 12-year-olds and adults

Wayfinding is the ability to learn and recall a route through an environment. Theories of wayfinding suggest that for children to learn a route successfully, they must have repeated experience of it, but in this experiment we investigated whether children could learn a route after only a single experience of the route. A total of 80 participants from the United Kingdom in four groups of 20 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 12-year-olds, and adults were shown a route through a 12-turn maze in a virtual environment. At each junction, there was a unique object that could be used as a land- mark. Participants were ‘‘walked” along the route just once (with- out any verbal prompts) and then were asked to retrace the route from the start without any help. Nearly three quarters of the 12- year-olds, half of the 10-year-olds, and a third of the 8-year-olds retraced the route without any errors the first time they traveled it on their own. This finding suggests that many young children can learn routes, even with as many as 12 turns, very quickly and without the need for repeated experience. The implications for theories of wayfinding that emphasize the need for extensive experience are discussed

The development of wayfinding abilities in children: Learning routes with and without landmarks

Young children experience wayfinding difficulties. A better understanding of the development of wayfinding abilities may inform strategies that can be used to improve these skills in children. The ability to learn and remember a route was assessed in 220 6-, 8-, and 10-year old children and adults. Participants were shown a route in a virtual environment, before they were asked to retrace this route until they had achieved two consecutive trials without error. The virtual environment contained (i) no landmarks (ii) landmarks or (iii) landmarks that were verbally labelled. Adults, 10-year-olds and most 8-year-olds learnt the route when landmarks were present, but not all the 6-year-olds were successful. All age groups of children improved when the landmarks were labelled. Children were much poorer when there were no landmarks. This is the first study to distinguish between route learning dependent on landmarks, and route learning without landmarks (i.e. dependent on directions)

Distance cognition: laboratory-experimental investigations in virtual environments

In this study on spatial cognition spatial orientation behaviour and the effects of organisation and processes on distance cognition in virtual environments are investigated in 8 experiments with a total of 180 participants. The main question is whether distance cognition in environmental spaces is only determined by the occurrence features (feature accumulation hypothesis), or by the segmentation of a route, which is induced by the specific order of these features along the route (route segmentation hypothesis). The results show that under an incidental learning condition, the feature accumulation hypothesis is valid. If the spatial configuration is presented simultaneously as a map-like survey view, distance cognition is determined by the kind of segmentation, which is induced by the Gestalt factors. Under this condition, the route segmentation hypothesis is valid. If the acquisition of distance knowledge is intentional, no support was found for either of the two hypotheses. Under this condition, it is possible to retrieve distance knowledge directly. After incidental learning, a distance estimate has to be inferred indirectly from the successively experienced and retrieved features of the route. The dissertation also shows that the use of Virtual Reality technology makes it possible to construct laboratory experiments in a realistic and economic manner. In dieser Arbeit zur Raumkognition werden in acht Experimenten mit insgesamt 180 Versuchsteilnehmern das räumliche Orientierungsverhalten und die Effekte von Gestaltungs- und Prozeßbedingungen auf die Distanzkognition in virtuellen Umgebungsräumen untersucht. Zentrales Anliegen ist die Klärung der Frage, ob die Distanzkognition in Umgebungsräumen allein durch das Auftreten von Umgebungsmerkmalen (Feature-Akkumulationshypothese) oder von der durch die spezifische Anordnung dieser Features induzierten Gliederung (Route-Segmentierungshypothese) bestimmt wird. Die Befunde zeigen, daß unter einer inzidentellen Lernbedingung die Feature-Akkumulationshypothese gilt. Bei Simultandarbietung der räumlichen Konfiguration in Form einer Obenaufsicht bestimmen die nach Gestaltfaktoren induzierten Gliederungsverhältnisse die Distanzkognition. Unter dieser Bedingung gilt die Routen-Segmentierungshypothese. Bei intentionalem Erwerb von Distanzwissen läßt sich weder die Feature-Akkumulationshypothese noch die Routen-Segmentierungshypothese nachweisen. Unter dieser Lernbedingung ist ein direkter Abruf von Distanzwissen möglich, während die Distanzschätzung nach inzidentellem Lernen indirekt aufgrund der auf der jeweiligen Route sukzessiv erfahrenen und abgerufenen Features inferiert wird. Die Arbeit zeigt, daß der Einsatz der Virtual-Reality-Technologie eine realitätsnahe und ökonomischere Gestaltung räumlicher Gegebenheiten im Laborexperiment ermöglicht

Manual training of mental rotation in children. Learn. Instr. 18, 30–41. Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential

Abstract When deciding whether two stimuli rotated in space are identical or mirror reversed, subjects employ mental rotation to solve the task. In children mental rotation can be trained by extensive repetition of the task, but the improvement seems to rely on the retrieval of previously learned stimuli. We assumed that due to the close relation between mental and manual rotation in children a manual training should improve the mental rotation process itself. The manual training we developed indeed ameliorated mental rotation and the training effect was not limited to learned stimuli. While boys outperformed girls in the mental rotation test before the manual rotation training, we found no gender differences in the results of the manual rotation task

Feature accumulation and route structuring in distance estimation: An interdisciplinary approach

Abstract. It is well-known that route distance estimates are influenced by the structure of the route. In particular, the number of features along the route (e.g. landmarks) and the structuring of the route into stretches have been shown to influence distance estimates, usually increasing them (feature accumulation, route structuring). However, the two effects have not been related to one another yet. What is the relation between them? We have approached this question from two perspectives. The paper describes a cognitive model of route representation and processes, which produces both effects as the outcomes of task-specific retrieval procedures. It also describes an experiment whose results support the hypothesis that route structuring, if induced by segmentation, is a special case of feature accumulation. We relate the empirical results to the model, show how they support and constrain each other, and outline what further research is needed.

Gender differences in mental rotation in Oman and Germany

Gender differences in mental rotation often show that males are superior at this task. This study explored gender differences in two nations, which have disparities in their gender equality. While Germany represents a western liberal culture, Oman represents a conservative eastern culture. Students from Germany (119) and Oman (120) completed a mental rotation test, a cognitive processing speed test and a questionnaire of physical activity. The results show a significantly better mental rotation performance for the German students compared to Oman students and an overall, gender difference across both cultures. Furthermore, German students outperformed Oman students in cognitive processing speed but there were no gender differences between the cultures. We conclude that mental rotation performance is related to nation, gender and cognitive processing speed. The results are discussedin the frame of how education systems developed in Germany and Oman. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved