A developmental study of the concept of direction
Children's understanding of the words of spatial direction
1968 Volume 16 Issue 1 Pages 42-49,63
Details
1968 Volume 16 Issue 1 Pages 42-49,63
To throw light on the development of concepts of three dimensional direction, we studied how children (ages 3-11 years) conceive those words themselves (above-below, before-behind, right-left) in actual situation's and in dealing with objects. Findings are:
1) Orienting from “one's own body”, above-below was easiest for children to conceive, and was responded correctly at ages 3-4. Before-behind was conceived correctly at ages 5-6. While right-left, being most difficult, was achieved at ages 7-8. Thus we had distinct developmental difference as to the comprehensibility of these different directions.
2) When the subject's view-point was shifted to a person facing him, or when his posture was changed to the supine position, the task became rather difficult and caused many ego-centric errors, especially at ages up to 6-7 years.
3) Discrimination of right and left from one's own body and that from the view-point of another person facing one, made two distinct developmental stages, the latter being attained two years later than the former. The reversible right-left relation between oneself and other person facing, was comprehended at ages 8-9.
4) Judging right and left with respect to the positions of objects presented before the child, the task was far more difficult with 3 objects than with 2 objects. Up to ages' 7-8, the absolute judgement on the basis of one's own body was prevailing. Relative judgement with the shift of view-point was expected at ages 10-11.
5) Ability to make right-left judgement with respect to “one's own body”, to “another person facing one”, and to “positions of objects”, correlated positively with levels of intelligence. Regional dif ferences and disparities among schools were also observed as to this ability.
