Spatial Development: How Parent-Child Interactions, Gender, and Ethnicity Play a Role
Open Access
Author:
Kagel, Mackenzie Elizabeth
Area of Honors:
Psychology
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Lynn Susan Liben, Thesis Supervisor Lynn Susan Liben, Thesis Supervisor Jeanette N Cleveland, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
spatial development
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to gain a greater insight into the extent to which parents encourage spatial development in their children. The data were collected during a short interaction between a mother and her preschool aged child while they played together with blocks. For the purpose of this thesis, 39 mother-child dyads were analyzed, 14 of whom were of Mexican American descent and spoke Spanish during the interaction, and the other 25 of whom were African American. Each dyad interacted in a small laboratory room and received a set of colored blocks containing pictures, numbers, and shapes. Dyads were instructed to play together as they wished. Behaviors coded included: types of spatial language used, which characteristics of the blocks were addressed, amount of time spent talking, and how the dyad physically manipulated the blocks. Additionally, potential differences based on the gender of the child or the ethnicity of the dyad were considered.
