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Updated: May 27, 2026
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The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition
Published on: February 19, 2018
Priming of spatial distance enhances children's creative performance
Nira Liberman1, Orli Polack, Boaz Hameiri
1Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. niralib@post.tau.ac.il
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|November 15, 2011
Summary
Spatial distancing enhances children's creativity. Children exposed to distant objects showed greater idea fluency and originality, supporting psychological distance theories in developmental psychology.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Creativity Research
Background:
- Construal Level Theory posits that psychological distance fosters abstract thinking.
- Creativity theories suggest abstract thought enhances creative performance.
- This study explores the link between spatial distance and creativity in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if spatial distancing enhances creative performance in elementary school children.
- To test the hypothesis derived from Construal Level Theory and creativity theories.
- To examine the effect of spatial priming on idea fluency and originality.
Main Methods:
- Participants: 6- to 9-year-old elementary school children.
- Procedure: Primed spatial distance or proximity using images of objects at varying distances (desk to galaxy).
- Measurement: Assessed creativity through idea fluency and originality tests.
Main Results:
- Children primed with spatial distance exhibited significantly higher creativity scores.
- Both fluency and originality of ideas were enhanced by spatial distance priming.
- The effect of spatial distance on creativity was consistent across different ages and genders.
Conclusions:
- Spatial distancing effectively enhances creative performance in young children.
- Findings support the application of Construal Level Theory to developmental creativity research.
- Psychological distance, specifically spatial, is a viable factor for boosting children's creativity.
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