Université de Fribourg

Understanding of object rotation between two and three years of age

Pedrett, Salome ; Kaspar, Lea ; Frick, Andrea

In: Developmental Psychology, 2020, vol. 56, p. 261-274

Toddlers’ understanding of object rotation was investigated using a multi-method approach. Participants were 44 toddlers between 22 and 38 months of age. In an eye-tracking task, they observed a shape that rotated and disappeared briefly behind an occluder. In an object-fitting task, they rotated wooden blocks and fit them through apertures. Results of the eye-tracking task showed that with...

Université de Fribourg

Touching up mental rotation : Effects of manual experience on 6-month-old infants’ mental object rotation

Möhring, Wenke ; Frick, Andrea

In: Child Development, 2013, vol. 84, no. 5, p. 1554-1565

In this study, 6-month-olds’ ability to mentally rotate objects was investigated using the violation-of-expectation paradigm. Forty infants watched an asymmetric object being moved straight down behind an occluder. When the occluder was lowered, it revealed the original object (possible) or its mirror image (impossible) in one of five orientations. Whereas half of the infants were allowed...

Université de Fribourg

Mental object rotation and motor development in 8- and 10-month-old infants

Frick, Andrea ; Möhring, Wenke

In: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2013, vol. 115, no. 4, p. 708-720

Recent evidence indicates that 6-month-old infants’ mental rotation of objects profits from prior manual experience, whereas observational experience does not have the same beneficial effect (Möhring, W. & Frick, A., 2013, Child Development). The present study investigated whether older infants, at 8 and 10 months of age, succeed in this task after observational experience only, and...

Université de Fribourg

Using a touch screen paradigm to assess the development of mental rotation between 3½ and 5½ years of age

Frick, Andrea ; Ferrara, Katrina ; Newcombe, Nora S.

In: Cognitive Processing, 2013, vol. 14, no. 2, p. 117-127

Mental rotation is an important spatial skill. However, there is controversy concerning its early development and susceptibility to intervention. In the present study, we assessed individual differences in the mental rotation abilities of children between 3½ and 5½ years of age, using a touch screen paradigm to simplify task demands. A figure or its mirror image was presented in 8 different...

Université de Fribourg

Development of mental rotation in 3- to 5-year-old children

Frick, Andrea ; Hansen, Melissa A. ; Newcombe, Nora S.

In: Cognitive Development, 2013, vol. 28, no. 4, p. 386-399

We assessed 3- to 5-year-olds’ mental rotation abilities using a new puzzle paradigm. It allows for assessment of mental rotation abilities in children younger than 5 years, using a task comparable to ones used with older children and adults. Children saw pairs of asymmetrical ghost figures, either as three-dimensional cut-outs or two- dimensional paper versions, in seven orientations. One...