Poster #2 - The Association between Working Memory, Inhibitory Control, and Spatial Ability in 4- to 6-year-olds

• In Event: Poster Session 05

Abstract

Spatial ability, including the ability to mentally manipulate or rotate an object (i.e., mental rotation), and the ability to reorient oneself in the environment (i.e., spatial reorientation), is essential to adaption and function in daily life. Spatial ability is a key predictor of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) advantages and entering into STEM careers. Though increasing efforts have been made in promoting spatial ability in young children, less is known about its relation to higher-order cognitions such as inhibitory control and working memory. It is unclear how working memory and inhibitory control are associated with mental rotation and spatial reorientation. This study examined the relations between inhibitory control, working memory and spatial ability in 4- to 6-year-olds.
Forty-four typically-developing 4- to 6-year-olds completed a Forward and Backward Digit Span tasks, Flanker task, children’s mental rotation task (CMTT), and spatial orientation task. In the forward and backward digit span task, children were asked to repeat the digits the experimenter said in the same or backward order. The longest memory span was analyzed as an indication of working memory performance. In the Flanker task, children saw a target in the middle and distractors on left and right and children were asked to point to the arrow that corresponded to the direction of the target. Percent correct was analyzed as an indication of inhibitory control. In the CMTT, children were asked to mentally put the pieces of a shape together and point to one of the four shapes the pieces made. Percent correct was analyzed for this task. In the Spatial Reorientation task, children saw a toy being hidden in one of the four boxes and were asked to indicate the location of the toy after being disorientated. Percentage scores for (1) correct corner, (2) correct plus diagonal corner and (3) near incorrect corner were analyzed.
Linear regressions were used to examine working memory, inhibitory control and child age on mental rotation and spatial reorientation. Working memory predicted CMTT performance, unstandardized coefficient = 0.05, SE = 0.02, t = 3.24, p = 0.002. Age also significantly predicted CMTT scores, unstandardized coefficient = 0.08, SE = 0.03, t = 3.26, p = 0.002. Inhibitory control was not a significant predictor of CMTT scores (p = 0.448). No predictor was significant for performance in the spatial reorientation task (lowest p = 0.148).
The study examined the relation of inhibitory control and working memory to spatial ability, measured using both a mental rotation and spatial orientation task. Only verbal working memory, and child age, was related to mental rotation performance. The result corroborates prior work showing the importance of working memory in performing mental rotation and suggests mental rotation benefits from verbal memory representation, not just spatial memory representation. We did not find a significant relation of inhibitory control or working memory to spatial reorientation, but this may be due to a relatively small sample size. The finding has implication for mental rotation interventions such that mental rotation may benefit from trainings in working memory.

Authors

• Yinbo Wu, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Hannah Marie Bowley, Florida International University

• Priscilla Lioi

• Yvonne Ralph, University of Texas at Tyler

• Vanessa Vieites, Florida International University

• Melanie Rengel, Florida International University

• Amanda Renfro

• Timothy Hayes, Florida International University

• Anthony Steven Dick, Florida International University

• Aaron Mattfeld, Florida International University

• Shannon Marie Pruden, Florida International University