[The development of spatial problem solving ability in early blind].
Thirty-one pupils at elementary schools (ages between six years and nine month and 12 years and two months) and seven adults were tasted using the method developed by Yamamoto and Tatsuno (1984) to investigate the development of spatial ability in the early blind. The subjects walked, with the guidance of the experimenter, on a path which had 45, 90, or 135 degree right or left angle turn at its middle point. At the end point of each path, the subjects walked back alone to find the starting point of the path. The trials were repeated 12 times. The adult group made less angular error in the direction of movement when they walked back alone, though other performance measures scarcely showed any indications of development of the ability. The subjects' verbal reports concerning their problem solving methods revealed that many of them were using the starting point as an anchor while they were walking. The data obtained were evaluated with reference to the earlier data for the sighted [Yamamoto & Tatsuno's (1984) data]. Some points of agreement and disagreement with the argument of put forward by Juurmaa (1973) and the present results concerning the development of spatial ability, were also discussed.
Yamamoto
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Hagoromo-Gakuen Junior College, Osaka.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001766:Blindness / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving; D013028:Space Perception