The Imaging of Spatial Relations Among Children as Influenced by Maturity Level and Travel Experience Factors

Myron Morgan Yagel

Abstract

This study grew out of readings by the author of reports on investigations conducted by the Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget. M. Piaget studied the manner in which children develop concepts of the physical and social world about them. One of these studies concerning spatial imagery was most interesting. It was the opinion of this author in reviewing M. Piaget's account of procedure and interpretation of the results of a test of this space imaging ability that certain variables were not properly controlled. The most important of these seemed to be the intelligence level and environmental experiences of the individual children involved. The purpose of this experiment, therefore, is to investigate the nature of spatial imaging among children, repeating M. Piaget's study and controlling more of the variables that seem important. The effect of maturity level and then the effect or travel experiences on the results of a test of spatial imagery is investigated. The term, spatial imagery, will become clear as the ability being studied is described in more detail.