Interaction between perceptual motor system and representative operational system in the cognitive development

Research Project

Project/Area Number	13610103
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	実験系心理学
Research Institution	Kobe Women's University
Principal Investigator	SUGIMURA Shinichiro Kobe Women's University, Literature, Associate Professor, 文学部, 助教授 (40235891)
Project Period (FY)	2001 – 2002
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2002)
Budget Amount *help	¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000) Fiscal Year 2002: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Keywords	Spatial orientation / Perceptual localization / Cognitive development / Cognitive processes / Preschool age children / 知覚・運動 / 表象・操作 / イメージ / 描画 / 空間認知 / 幼児期 / 空間表象
Research Abstract	In order to study if the phenomena that a child suddenly pointed out the opposite side when the rotation angle reached the 180 degree are caused by the factor of the rectangular table shape which appeared to be the same when it was rotated at the 180 degree, the results which were obtained when a trapezoidal table was used are analyzed, while conducting a new experiment using a circular and a square table. Consequently, the continuous error, wherein quadrant gradually shifts, and the discontinuous error, wherein quadrant suddenly shifts to a different one at a certain angle, are found. Those results imply that a 3- or 4-year-old child codes an object position through his or her internal framework and performs some manipulation on the quadrant which is formed independently from the external world, and thus, this may evoke the discontinuous error. Additionally, when the task to draw the track of the object movement is given, it is found that a 6-year-old child, who understands what the result would be when the object was turned at the 180 degree, cannot correctly draw the track of the object, the process of the object movement. Therefore, supports including various questions are given to the child who cannot draw the track, in order to help him or her develop the image of the movement. As the result, most of the children show no changes in their understanding of object movement, however, for some children, questions help them find inconsistency in their drawings and successfully integrate their drawings. Based on the aforementioned findings, it is considered that the conflict between the functions of the perceptual motor system and the representative operational system is corrected by improving the consistency in the representative operational system, rather than by the interaction of those systems.