Lecture_8_2002_20223-2024

Development of Spatial Cognition

Introduction

  • The development of spatial cognition refers to how individuals understand and represent space throughout their lifespan.

  • This lecture outlines key milestones of spatial cognition development and is based on the work by Vasilyeva and Lourenco (2012).

Key Principles

  • There are identifiable developmental milestones in understanding spatial cognition that evolve from infancy through later childhood.

Understanding Spatial Cognition

Age-Based Knowledge

  • Questions addressed include:

    • What do infants understand about spatial cognition?

    • How do spatial understanding and skills progress through toddlerhood?

    • What knowledge do older children possess regarding spatial cognition?

    • Clarification of mechanisms behind the development of spatial cognition.

Learning Outcomes

Focus Areas

  • Understanding various reference frames and representations of space.

  • Describing developmental milestones in spatial cognition from birth to 11 years.

  • Explaining mechanisms underpinning these milestones.

Applications of Spatial Cognition

Uses of Spatial Cognition

  • Basic Functions

    • Locating objects and facilitating locomotion.

  • Complex Applications

    • Navigating environments and assembling tasks.

  • Advanced Applications

    • Utilized in science and technology for problem-solving and innovation.

Recognition and Implications

Spatial Intelligence Awareness

  • A focus on enhancing acknowledgment of spatial reasoning as an essential form of intelligence within educational systems.

Historical Context

  • Origins of spatial cognition research traced back to Piaget, focusing on how individuals identify and locate objects using various reference frames, including allocentric and egocentric frames.

Terminology Clarification

Reference Frames

  • Egocentric Frame of Reference: Viewer-dependent perspective (e.g., "Totoro is in front of Catbus").

  • Allocentric Frame of Reference: Viewer-independent perspective (e.g., "Totoro is northeast of Catbus").

  • Metric Representation: Object locations defined by distance and direction (e.g., "Totoro is 50 meters south of the gate").

  • Categorical Representation: Locations generalized to larger regions without specific coordinates (e.g., "Totoro is in the field").

Infancy Findings

Coding Development in Infants

  • By 9 months, infants begin to exhibit dead reckoning abilities, accounting for both translation and rotation in their movements.

  • By 12 months, their understanding of position becomes more complex as they integrate translation and rotation.

Allocentric and Categorical Coding

  • Infants demonstrate allocentric coding abilities as young as 6 months through experimental cues leading to expected visual stimuli.

  • A preference for novel stimulus emerges at 6-7 months, showing the development of categorical coding.

Metric Coding

  • Surprise response patterns in infants indicate emerging understanding of metric distances by 6.5 months.

Summary of Infancy Development

  • Infants are born with basic egocentric and categorical coding skills, which improve over time.

  • More complex forms like dead reckoning and allocentric coding evolve throughout infancy.

Toddlerhood Developments

Spatial Reorientation

  • Research shows toddlers can utilize landmarks for spatial orientation much like older children, indicating an advanced understanding of geometry and spatial relationships.

  • The Cheng and Gallistel (1984) model suggests toddlers first rely on geometry followed by landmark recognition.

Mapping Abilities

  • By ages 2.5 to 3, toddlers grasp relationships between models/maps and real-life objects, developing an understanding of spatial relationships.

Summary of Toddlerhood Development

  • Toddlers surpass infants in spatial cognition and demonstrate new skills, such as mapping and spatial reorientation.

Later Childhood Insights

Coding Evolution

  • By age 6, children develop allocentric coding capabilities while still struggling with integrating egocentric cues effectively.

  • By ages 6 to 11, children demonstrate a greater ability to organize spatial information and integrate multiple dimensions in spatial layouts.

Mapping Skills

  • Children begin using distance and angular cues for navigation and mapping by ages 4 and 5, respectively.

Summary of Later Childhood Development

  • By age 6, children achieve allocentric coding, while categorical coding continues evolving up to age 11. Children’s mapping abilities become more sophisticated as they age.

Mechanisms Behind Spatial Cognition Development

Influencing Factors

  • Biological aspects, such as hippocampal development, play a crucial role in spatial memory.

  • Experiences from self-locomotion and interactions with the physical world are vital for developing spatial cognition.

Effects of Aging on Spatial Cognition

  • Aging negatively impacts allocentric coding and the ability to update spatial memory, leading to difficulties in navigation and memory retention.

Future Directions in Research

  • Greater insights are needed into the interplay of biological and environmental factors influencing spatial reasoning and cognition.

  • An understanding of developmental and aging mechanisms that impact spatial cognition is crucial for future studies.