Frick, Andrea
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Measuring mental rotation and perspective taking in children. A validation study
Mental rotation (MR) and perspective taking (PT) are key spatial abilities that have been linked to various cognitive and academically relevant skills (e.g., Baumeler & Frick, 2017; Frick, 2019; Laski et al., 2013; Mix & Cheng, 2012). Despite their importance, there is a lack of validated instruments for measuring these skills in young children. In this study, the psychometric properties of four MR tasks were examined by presenting them to 96 children aged 6 to 9 years. Among these tasks, two were specifically designed for children, whereas the other two were established tasks that were originally created for adults, with a computer-based task and a paper-pencil task in each category. The study also included a computerized assessment of spatial PT, an ability that is conceptually related to but clearly distinct from MR, thus serving as a stringent test for discriminant validity. The new MR tasks for children showed good to excellent reliabilities, exceeding those of the reference tasks for adults. Almost all MR tasks indicated significant improvement in performance with increasing age, highlighting their sensitivity to developmental changes across the age range studied. The only exception was the adult computerized task, which showed only a non-significant age trend, pointing to its inadequacy for tracking developmental progress in MR. The PT task also exhibited good reliability and a steep developmental trajectory. Whereas the largest gains in MR were observed between ages 7 and 8, PT performance improved almost linearly, with the largest gains from 6 to 7 and 8 to 9 years. This asynchronous developmental progression in MR and PT performance speaks to the tasks’ discriminant validity. Factor analyses revealed that all MR tasks converged on a single factor, with PT showing a weak association with this factor, indicating high construct validity. The adult computerized task loaded moderately on this factor but formed a separate (yet related) factor when a two-factor solution was enforced, again attesting to its limited suitability for measuring MR in children. Overall, the newly developed tasks provide reliable and valid instruments for measuring individual differences and developmental progress across ages 6 to 9 in single and group settings.
Anstossen, rollen lassen und Lenken: ein Modell für kollaborative Bildung
Sozialkompetenz und Selbstorganisation gewinnen im Arbeitsmarkt zunehmend an Bedeutung. Kinder auf gesellschaftliche Anforderungen vorzubereiten, gehört zum schulischen Bildungsauftrag, doch oft bestimmt noch immer fremdgelenkt-statisches Lernen den Unterricht. Im Hinblick auf gesellschaftliche Transformationsprozesse bedarf es jedoch prozessorientierter Lernformen, welche Kinder aktiv mitgestalten können. Dieser Beitrag gibt Einblick in das Projekt »Anstossen, rollen lassen und lenken« der Hochschule für agile Bildung (HfaB). In diesem wurde eine entwicklungs- und prozessorientierte Lehrmethode erprobt, mit dem Ziel, ein Modell zu entwickeln und interessierte Lehrpersonen zu inspirieren. Dafür wurden Methoden aus dem Designbereich, die für die Lenkung und Reflexion offener Prozesse entwickelt wurden, in den pädagogischen Kontext übertragen.
Measuring Spatial Abilities in Children: A Comparison of Mental-Rotation and Perspective-Taking Tasks
Mental rotation (MR) and perspective taking (PT) are important spatial abilities and predictive of performance in other cognitive domains. Yet, age-appropriate measures to assess these spatial abilities in children are still rare. This study examined psychometric properties of four MR tasks in 6- to 9-year-olds (N = 96). Two were developed specifically for children and two were based on established assessments for adults; one of each was a computerized and one was a paper–pencil task. Furthermore, spatial perspective taking (PT)—a different but closely related ability—was assessed to determine discriminant validity. Factor analyses showed that all MR tasks loaded on one single factor, with PT only loading weakly on the same factor, suggesting high construct validity. The computerized task for adults showed moderate factor loadings, constituted its own (but correlated) factor when a two-factor solution was forced, and showed the lowest reliabilities, suggesting that it was very difficult for children. On average, the new MR tasks had good to excellent reliabilities, differentiated well between age groups, and proved to be well-suited to assess MR in this age range. The PT task also showed good reliability and a steep developmental progression. Relations to verbal skills, gaming experience, and TV consumption are discussed.