Spatial Cognition Skills
Psychosocial Profile
Gregory is a toddler. He is the subject of this observation. He is 3 feet 2 inches tall. He weighs 38 pounds. He has blonde hair and almond shaped green eyes. He is Caucasian with a pinky-pale complexion.
While performing the observation, Gregory wore jeans, a blue tank top, brown sandals, and a blue baseball cap.
Gregory lives with his mother and father, a 4-year-old sister, a cat named Sprinkles, and a parrot named Bella. The parents have been married for five years and had their first child, Jackeline during their first year of marriage. His father is a high school teacher and is 36 years old. His mother is a housewife and is 30 years old. The mother earned her degree in English at the age of 22.
The primary care givers of Gregory are his parents with his mother taking care of him full time. When his father comes home from work or has vacation, he spends time with Gregory. Gregory will start pre-school when he turns 3.
The subject and his family live in a multi-family unit that is rented. They live on the first floor. It is located in the city. The neighborhood is noisy and has a large population of children Gregory's age or older. The house has white siding and a glass and wood door.
His sister plays with him at times. His mother is always at home with him unless she has to go somewhere with the father. In that case, a babysitter takes care of the two children. He has playdates with other children his age. He also goes to the park often and plays with other children and his sister.
Reading
"Fitting Objects into Holes: On the Development of Spatial Cognition Skills" is the article that discusses the joy infants and toddlers discover from playing. Play includes insertion of objects into various sized holes, piling up objects, and the placement of lids on pots...
When infants and toddlers perform these tasks successfully, they develop spatial cognition as well as perception.
As the infant grows and becomes a toddler, the infant's fascination with objects and their relation to each other grows. The purpose of this explorative study was to collect data from infants and toddlers aged 14 months to 26 months. This is one of the few studies/first studies on this topic.
The study asked the question of whether perceptual or motor competence in relation to cognitive capabilities have a connection. By observing children and their behaviors during play, it allows the observer to gain an understanding of their cognitive processes and their ability to collect information and plan accordingly.
For example, to pass an object through a specific hole requires a solution for at minimum three spatial problems. First there must be an understanding of how the object fits into the hole. The second is grabbing a different object or turning the object so it can fit. Third is arrangement of object so it can fit. Although infants aged 14-22 months had difficult inserting objects into the hole, they progressively got better. By 22-26 months of age, they inserted objects into the hole at a 98% chance of success.
This article shows that with age, children evolve their abilities. This then allows them to effectively plan things. By planning, they can achieve things they could not before, like putting objects through holes at a higher success rate.
Observation
07/31/2016 was the date when the observation was held. The time was from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in the subject's house. The mother was present with the sister and cat present as well. Gregory, the subject, sat in what the mother called a 'Plastic Colorplay Superyard'. They were all in the living room. Gregory had five toy cars to play with. One was a truck,…
