These materials are used to assess maths and and spatial abilites
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The Mental Folding Task requires participants to imagine folds made to a piece of paper, without a physical representation of the folding. This task was designed by Harris, Newcombe, & Hirsh-Pasek (2013). In each trial participants are shown a shape at the top of the screen with a dotted line and arrow representing where a fold should be made. Participants are required to click on one of four images, shown at the bottom of the screen, to select which image would be created after the fold was made. The task includes two practice trials in which participants are given physical card to check their answers and feedback is provided. These trials ensure that participants understand that the dotted lines represented folding. Participants then complete 14 experimental trials with no feedback. The position of the correct answer is counterbalanced across trials. Performance is measured as percentage accuracy.
Harris, J., Newcombe, N. S., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2013). A New Twist on Studying the Development of Dynamic Spatial Transformations: Mental Paper Folding in Young Children. Mind, brain and education, 7(1), 49-55.
Gorilla Open Materials Attribution-NonCommerical Research-Only
Harris, Newcombe & Hirsh-Pasek (2013)
https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12007
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The procedure for this task is taken from Ehrlich, Levine, and Goldin-Meadow, (2006). In the Mental Transformation participants choose (by clicking on it) which of 4 shapes can be created by joining two target shapes together. Participants complete 3 practice trials with feedback and 16 experimental trials with no feedback. Trials differ systematically by rotation (45° or 0°) and by translation (presented on split planes or on the same plane). The three practice trials have been added to the original study, to ensure that participants understand the task in a computer-based format. The position of the correct answer is counter-balanced across trials and the order of item presentation is fixed. Performance is measured as percent correct.
Ehrlich, S. B., Levine, S. C., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2006). The Importance of Gesture in Children's Spatial Reasoning. Developmental psychology, 42(6), 1259-1268.
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Ehrlich, Levine,& Goldin-Meadow (2006).
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-20488-022
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This task includes 2 practice and 12 test items. It was modified from Mix et al. (2020). For each item, participants are asked to type the correct answer to a mathematical word problem that is shown onscreen. The question is also read aloud to participants. As this task was originally designed for use in the United States, some of the language, e.g., names have been changed for use with children in the UK. No mathematical content has been altered. The trials are presented in a fixed order. Performance is measured as percentage accuracy.
Mix, K. S., Levine, S. C., Cheng, Y.-L., Stockton, J. D., & Bower, C. (2020). Effects of spatial training on mathematics in first and sixth grade children. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication.
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Mix et al., (2020)
doi.org/10.1037/edu0000494
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This vocabulary task assesses knowledge of homonyms. This tasked was modified from Booton et al., (in press). In each of 16 trials (i.e., 8 words with dual meanings), participants are shown a target word on screen and are asked to choose which one of four images represents the word shown. The word is also read aloud to participants through their earphones. Performance is measured as percentage accuracy.
Booton, S. A., Hodgkiss, A., Mathers, S., & Murphy, V. A. (in press) Measuring knowledge of multiple word meanings in children with English as a first and an additional language and the relationship to reading comprehension. Journal of Child Language.
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This task was designed for use in this study. For each of 14 items, participants are asked to answer a mathematical calculation in a prototypical format, e.g., 4 + 3 = X. Equal numbers of addition and subtraction items, and single and multi-digit items are presented in a fixed order. Percentage accuracy is measured.
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Gilligan-Lee et al., 2021
https://osf.io/mer9t/
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These items are taken from Thurstone’s Part-Whole Object Completion Task (Thurstone, 1974). For each item, a target image of a square is shown with a portion missing. Participants choose (by clicking on it) which of 4 shapes can be rotated and joined to the target shape to create a perfect square. Participants complete 2 practice trials at 0° with feedback, and 12 experimental trials (equal numbers requiring 45° and 90° rotations) with no feedback. The position of the correct answer is counterbalanced across trials. Performance accuracy is recorded.
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Thurstone, T. G. (1974). PMA readiness level. Chicago , IL: Science Research Associates.
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In each trial participants are required to identify which one of two animal images (one rotation of the target and one mirror image of the target) located above a horizontal line matches a target image (Gilligan et al., 2019). Participants choose an answer using the computer mouse. There are four practice trials (with feedback) followed by 40 experimental trials with no feedback. Practice trials are included to ensure participants understand how to answer the trials. The experimental trials include equal numbers of clockwise and anti-clockwise rotations at 45°, 90° and 135° (eight trials for each degree of rotation), and eight trials at 180° and 0°. The order of trials is randomised. Percentage accuracy is recorded.
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Gilligan, Thomas & Farran, 2019
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/desc.12909
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These Missing Term Problems are modified from Hawes et al., (2015) and Cheng and Mix, (2014). In each trial, participants are asked to complete the missing number(s) in a mathematical calculation with a non-protypical format, e.g., 3 + _ = 7. Participants complete two practice items with feedback, and a further 14 test items where no feedback is provided. Items are presented in order of increasing difficulty. Approximately equal numbers of addition versus subtraction items, and single versus multi‐digit numbers are included. Performance is measured as percentage accuracy.
Cheng, Y. L., & Mix, K. S. (2014). Spatial Training Improves Children’s Mathematics Ability. Journal of Cognition and Development, 15(1), 2–11.
Hawes, Z., Moss, J., Caswell, B., & Poliszczuk, D. (2015). Effects of mental rotation training on children’s spatial and mathematics performance: A randomized controlled study. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 4(3), 60–68.
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Cheng & Mix (2014)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31144028/
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This place value concepts task was modified from Mix et al., (2020) who delivered a paper-based version. The task has been shortened from 20 to 12 items. In each item, participants are asked to either compare, order, or interpret multi-digit numerals, e.g., Which number has a 4 in the tens place? They are also asked to order numbers from smallest to largest, and to match multi-digit numerals to their expanded notation equivalents (543: 500 + 40 + 3). Items are presented in a fixed order. Performance is measured as percentage accuracy.
Mix, K. S., Levine, S. C., Cheng, Y.-L., Stockton, J. D., & Bower, C. (2020). Effects of spatial training on mathematics in first and sixth grade children. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/edu0000494
Gorilla Open Materials Attribution-NonCommerical Research-Only
Mix et al., (2020)
https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000494
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