How To Improve Spatial Skill: Converging on Mechanism

1. How To Improve Spatial Skill: Converging on Mechanism Alexandra Morrison Temple University

2. Acknowledgements Spatial Intelligence Learning Center & Temple University Neurocognition Lab Nora Newcombe Jason Chein Tim Shipley Graduate Students Alexandra Morrison Shannon Fitzhugh Research Staff Dominique Dumay Mike Demers Danielle Eagan Adrienne Villagomez

3. 3 Questions • Why Train Spatial Skills? • How can we train spatial skills? • What are the results of different training approaches? • In progress data

4. Why Spatial? How did you get to San Diego for Aera? Pack a Suitcase? Read a map? Navigate a busy airport?

5. Why Spatial? Scientific Thought and Communication • STEM Disciplines • Science • Technology • Engineering • Math

6. Why Spatial?Predicts choice of STEM Major • Higher spatial ability is associated with choice of STEM major (Hedges and Chung) • Controlling for IQ & SES • Equal in gender • SATM also related to choice of STEM discipline (Shae, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2001)

7. How can we train spatial skills? • Two Approaches • Strategy 1: Train Spatial Skills • Domain Specific Approach • Strategy 2: Train shared mental resources • Domain general Approach

8. Approach 1: Train Domain Specific Skills • Can train spatial skills by • Familiarizing participants with spatial stimuli • geometric shapes • Shepard-Metzler Cubes • Practice spatial Transformations

9. Approach 1: Example of Domain Specific Spatial Training • Wright, Thompson, Ganis, Newcombe, & Kosslyn, 2008 • Trained in either mental rotation or paper folding • Transferred to nontrained spatial but not verbal task • Results domain specific but not task specific

10. Approach 2:Domain General Training • Repetitive mental exercise improves general cognitive • abilities • Small scientific literature supports this

11. Approach 2: Domain General Cognitive Training • An emerging science of cognitive training … • Demonstrates • Performance also relies on general cognitive abilities • General cognitive abilities are both malleable & trainable.

12. Approach 2: Working Memory Training • WM capacity is a domain-general resource • WM capacity predicts performance in a broad range of tasks(e.g., Kane et al., 2004) • Successfully trained • Klingberg, 2002 & 2005 • Vaerhaghen, 2004 • Jaeggi, 2008

13. Working Memory vs. Short Term Memory • Working Memory (WM) • Simultaneous storage and processing • Short Term Memory (STM) • Storage only

14. What do we find when we compare types of training? • Our goals • Look at the malleability of spatial skills • Contrast different Cognitive Training Paradigms Domain Specific Spatial Visualization Training Verbal Short Term Memory Training Domain General Verbal Working Memory Training • Determine Transfer Patterns

15. Training Methods Overview

16. Cognitive Assessment Battery • MRT-A (Peters, 1995) • Solid Object Mental Rotation Test (Fitzhugh, Shipley, Newcombe & Dumay (in prep.) • Spatial/Verbal STM • Storage only • Spatial/Verbal WM • Storage + processing • Verbal Reasoning • Non-sense syllogisms, Inference • Cognitive Control • Stroop • Spatial Reasoning • Paper Folding, Surface Development • Reading Comprehension • Nelson Denny

17. Training Regimes • 5 days a week – 30 min per day • 4 weeks of training • Trained at home while guided by lab staff

18. Training Type 1:Spatial Visualization Training • Domain Specific Spatial Training • Introduction to 3D Visualization (Sorby, 1996) • Focus on transforming 3D objects into 2D representations • Isomorphic – 2D perspective rendering • Orthographic – 2D flat projections • Surface Development • Rotation about one axis

19. Working Memory Training C Glib • Domain general task • Storage + Processing • Adaptive Difficulty X Foot T Prust P Mile

20. Short Term Memory Training C **** X **** T **** P **** • Domain Specific Verbal • Storage only • 4s interval • Adaptive difficulty

21. Results of In Progress Study (n=91) • Examine the following Questions: Do different types of training yield different results? What is the impact of each training type on: • Spatial Skills • STM (storage only) • WM (storage and information processing)

22. Differential Effects of Training Does the type of Training Matter? * d = .33

23. Which training types improve spatial skills? d = .9 d = 1.18 d = 1.22

24. Which Training types increase memory storage? http://www.spatialintelligence.org

25. Which Training types improve storage and processing of information?

26. Summary – Spatial Visualization Training • SV training transfers to other spatial measures • Mental Rotation • Surface Development • Spatial Working Memory • No transfer to verbal tasks • Domain specific but not task specific!

27. Summary Working Memory Training • WM training transfers to non-trained domains • WM training  spatial visualization measures • Also transferred to cognitive control measure

28. Summary Short Term Memory Training • Transfer to verbal tasks • Some Transfer to spatial tasks • May approximate WM training at longer list lengths (Unsworth & Engle, 2007)

29. Future Directions • Trivia Training Control Group • Examine eye movement data • Looks like Spatial training and WM may improve by different mechanisms • 3 month follow-up • Are improvements stable?

30. Thank You! • Nora Newcombe • Jason Chein • Tim Shipley • Shannon Fitzhugh • Danielle Eagan • Dominique Dumay • Mike Demers • Adrienne Villagomez **This research was supported by a National Science Foundation grant to support the Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (No. SBE0541957)