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Individual differences in emerging adults' spatial abilities: What role do affective factors play?
Carlos J Desme1, Anthony S Dick2, Timothy B Hayes2
1Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA. cdesm002@fiu.edu.
Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications
|March 19, 2024
Summary
Student confidence in spatial skills positively impacts performance on spatial tasks like mental rotation and perspective-taking. However, spatial anxiety did not show a significant relationship with performance in this study.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- STEM Education Research
Background:
- Spatial ability is crucial for success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
- Individual differences in spatial skills are well-documented, but the influence of affective factors remains under-explored.
- Existing research lacks clarity on how confidence and anxiety specifically affect performance on different spatial tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between self-reported spatial confidence, spatial anxiety, and general anxiety with performance on two distinct spatial tasks.
- To determine if affective variables explain individual differences in spatial ability among STEM students.
- To examine the differential impact of confidence and anxiety on mental rotation and perspective-taking tasks.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 100 undergraduate students in introductory STEM courses participated.
- Participants completed self-report measures of spatial confidence, spatial anxiety, and general anxiety.
- Performance was assessed using a mental rotation task (MRT) and a perspective-taking and spatial orientation task (PTSOT).
Main Results:
- Spatial confidence was significantly associated with better performance on both the MRT and PTSOT, even after controlling for general anxiety and sex.
- Spatial anxiety did not show a significant relationship with performance on either the MRT or PTSOT.
- General anxiety and biological sex were included as covariates in the analyses.
Conclusions:
- Self-perceived spatial confidence is a significant predictor of spatial task performance in STEM students.
- The findings suggest that not all affective factors equally influence spatial ability; confidence plays a key role, while anxiety's impact may be more nuanced.
- Further research is warranted to explore the complex interplay between affective states and spatial cognition in STEM contexts.
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