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Young children's spontaneous use of geometry in maps

Young children's spontaneous use of geometry in maps Two experiments tested whether 4‐year‐old children extract and use geometric information in simple maps without task instruction or feedback. Children saw maps depicting an arrangement of three containers and were asked to place an object into a container designated on the map. In Experiment 1, one of the three locations on the map and the array was distinct and therefore served as a landmark; in Experiment 2, only angle, distance and sense information specified the target container. Children in both experiments used information for distance and angle, but not sense, showing signature error patterns found in adults. Children thus show early, spontaneously developing abilities to detect geometric correspondences between three‐dimensional layouts and two‐dimensional maps, and they use these correspondences to guide navigation. These findings begin to chart the nature and limits of the use of core geometry in a uniquely human, symbolic task. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Developmental Science Wiley

Young children's spontaneous use of geometry in maps

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References (25)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2008 The Authors.
ISSN
1363-755X
eISSN
1467-7687
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-7687.2007.00670.x
pmid
18333971
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Two experiments tested whether 4‐year‐old children extract and use geometric information in simple maps without task instruction or feedback. Children saw maps depicting an arrangement of three containers and were asked to place an object into a container designated on the map. In Experiment 1, one of the three locations on the map and the array was distinct and therefore served as a landmark; in Experiment 2, only angle, distance and sense information specified the target container. Children in both experiments used information for distance and angle, but not sense, showing signature error patterns found in adults. Children thus show early, spontaneously developing abilities to detect geometric correspondences between three‐dimensional layouts and two‐dimensional maps, and they use these correspondences to guide navigation. These findings begin to chart the nature and limits of the use of core geometry in a uniquely human, symbolic task.

Journal

Developmental Science – Wiley

Published: Mar 1, 2008

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