二次元空間の方向認知に関する発達的研究

発達曲線の数式化と誤りの分析

抄録

Problem: It is hard for preschool children to perceive direction in two-dimensional space. It has repeatedly been pointed out that there is a trend in errors made in their perception of spatial direction. How does their ability to perceive direction correctly develop chronologically? What kind of developmental curve will be obtained? what types of errors do they make along with increasing age? The purpose of this experiment is to answer these questions.
Method: As shown in Fig. 1 in the text, a standard figure randomly selected in turn out of the comparison figures, was tachi-stoscopically presented first and then a group of comparison figures was shown below. The subjects were asked to point out the same figure in the latter as the standard one. Three hundreds children ranging in age from 3 to 8 years were used.
Results: 1) The developmental curve of the ability of directional perception is contrasted in Fig. 2 in the text with that obtained in the previous study. 2) It was found that the cubic polynomial expression, Y=a+bX+cX²+dX³, was the most appropriate formula to express the functional relation between the age (X) and the ability (Y). 3) The frequency of errors was found highest in a diagonal, less in a horizontal and the least in a vertical direction. 4) A qualitative analysis of errors proved that the errors of mirror drawing type, i.e., the interchange of right and left, were the most frequent, next came those of reversal type or 180° rotation and the least were those of proximate type or 45° rotation. The reason for the highest frequency of mirror drawing errors may be that the concept of right and left is not well established in early ages. Further investigations on children's attitude in perception of figures and the physiological basis for visual perception would clarify the problems.