training generalized spatial transformation skills giorgio ganis harvard university stephen m....

Training Generalized Spatial Transformation Skills

Giorgio GanisHarvard University

Stephen M. Kosslyn Harvard University

Nora S. Newcombe Temple University

William L. Thompson Harvard University

Rebecca Wright Oxford University

BackgroundBackground

MethodsMethods

ResultsResults

Summary & ConclusionsSummary & Conclusions

Key in domains such as mathematics, natural sciences and engineering

Play a role in reasoning and communication

Why study spatial skills?Why study spatial skills?

Meta-analytic evidence (e.g., Baenninger & Newcombe, 1989)

Nature of improvement remains unclear, due to methodological/experimental limitations:

• Transfer to novel stimuli ?

• Transfer to other spatial tasks ?

• What processes are affected ?

New study on spatial transformation skill improvement with practice

Can spatial skills be improved through practice?Can spatial skills be improved through practice?

Can practice on a spatial transformation task

transfer to other spatial transformation tasks?

QUESTIONQUESTION

Task component analysis

Mental Rotation

• Initial encoding

• Rotate one object

• Compare objects to make decision

• Response

Paradigms to study spatial skill trainingParadigms to study spatial skill training

Gains should be tested with new stimuli

• Rule out instance-based improvement (memory for specific items)

• Need large sets of stimuli


Symmetric assessment of transfer between spatial tasks

• Group 1: Trained on Task A and tested on Task B

• Group 2: Trained on Task B and tested on Task A


Inclusion of a non-spatial control task

• Rule out generic transfer effects


Intensive training to produce large gains



MethodsMethods

ResultsResults


ParticipantsParticipants

31 participants (17 females, 14 males)

Mental Rotation Task (MRT)Mental Rotation Task (MRT)

Adapted from Shepard & Metzler (1971)

48

Spatial Transformation Difficulty

SAME

Mental Rotation Task (MRT)Mental Rotation Task (MRT)

DIFFERENT

Mental Paper Folding TaskMental Paper Folding Task (MPFT)(MPFT)

Adapted from Shepard & Feng (1972) S

patial T

ransformation D

ifficulty

SAME

DIFFERENT

Mental Paper Folding TaskMental Paper Folding Task (MPFT)(MPFT)

Verbal Analogies Task (VAT)Verbal Analogies Task (VAT)

Adapted from Morrison et al. (2004)

SAME

Verbal Analogies TaskVerbal Analogies Task (VAT)(VAT)

DIFFERENT

DesignDesign

Day 1 Day 2-22 Day 23

MRT(N=31)

MPFT(N=31)

VAT(N=31)

Initial Session Practice Phase

MRT (N=17)

MPFT (N=14)

Final Session

MRT(N=31)

MPFT(N=31)

VAT(N=31)

• Initial encoding

• Transform one object

• Compare objects to make decision

• Response

Task component analysisTask component analysis

y = a + bx

angle

RT

Transfer: spatial transformation processes(in addition to other spatial processes) shared by the

two spatial tasks but not by the control task


MethodsMethods

ResultsResults


Mea

n E

rro

r R

ate

Practice Session

10 20

ResultsResults

1000

2000

3000

Mea

n R

esp

on

se T

ime

6

12

18

angle

RT

ResultsResults

RT Slope

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Practice Session

Mean RT Slope

RT Intercept

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Practice Session

Mean RT Intercept

Mea

n E

rror

Rat

e

Practice Session

10 20

ResultsResults

1000

2000

3000

Mea

n R

espo

nse

Tim

e

4

8

12

ResultsResults

RT Slope

0100200300400500600700800900

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Practice Session

Mean RT Slope

RT Intercept

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Practice Session

Mean RT

ResultsResults

General Factors?General Factors?

• Transfer does not significantly affect slopes

ResultsResults


MethodsMethods

ResultsResults



• Symmetric transfer of practice between spatial transformation tasks

• Improvement beyond general factors

Can practice on a spatial transformation task

transfer to other spatial transformation tasks?

YESYES

Remaining questionsRemaining questions

Why didn’t many previous studies find transfer to other spatial tasks?

• Task similarity?

• Practice duration and regime?

• Other methodological differences?

• Need for more data and systematic meta-analyses

Remaining questionsRemaining questions

Why did reliable transfer occur only on intercepts but not on slopes?

Power issues ?

Improvement may occur in the initial spatial encoding of the stimulus

The slope/intercept decomposition of these classic tasks may need to be revised

Thank you!Thank you!

DesignDesign

DesignDesign

Day 1 Day 2-22 Day 23

Initial Session

MPFT(N=31)

MRT(N=31)

Practice Phase Final Session

MPFT(N=31)

MRT(N=31)MRT

(N=17)MRT

(N=17)…

MPFT (N=14)

MPFT (N=14)…

MPFT(N=31)

MRT(N=31)

MPFT(N=31)

MRT(N=31)

training generalized spatial transformation skills giorgio ganis harvard university stephen m....

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