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Producing Spatial Words Is Not Enough: Understanding the Relation Between Language and Spatial Cognition
Author(s) -
Miller Hilary E.,
Vlach Haley A.,
Simmering Vanessa R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12664
Subject(s) - spatial cognition , psychology , vocabulary , spatial ability , cognition , cognitive psychology , task (project management) , context (archaeology) , spatial contextual awareness , spatial relation , language development , relation (database) , developmental psychology , linguistics , computer science , artificial intelligence , paleontology , philosophy , management , database , neuroscience , economics , biology
Prior research has investigated the relation between children's language and spatial cognition by assessing the quantity of children's spatial word production, with limited attention to the context in which children use such words. This study tested whether 4‐year‐olds children's ( N = 41, primarily white middle class) adaptive use of task‐relevant language across contexts predicted their spatial skills. Children were presented with a spatial scene description task, four spatial tasks, and vocabulary assessments. Children's adaptive use of task‐relevant language was more predictive of their spatial skills than demographic and language factors (e.g., quantity of spatial words produced). These findings identify new links between language and spatial cognition and highlight the importance of understanding the quality, not just quantity, of children's language use.