The relationship between mobility and spatial reasoning in children across cultures

在空间认知和空间航行经验方面都存在性别差异，这些差异在各种社会中都存在。在户外，雄性往往比雌性走得更远，对自己的导航能力更有信心，在许多空间任务上，雄性的表现也优于雌性。对这些影响的一种解释是，有机会在更大的区域中导航可能会增强空间技能和信心。这些行为差异出现在童年中期，并有可能塑造整个生命的空间学习。本研究将调查这些关系的儿童在三个觅食的社会，探讨儿童的流动性如何影响空间学习和信心，以及为什么这些往往不同的女孩和男孩。 与工业化社会的儿童相比，这些社会的儿童更多地接触自然环境，并有更大的自由进行独立的空间探索，这可能提供一个有利于培养良好空间和导航能力的学习环境。 因此，跨文化研究这个问题提供了一个机会，更直接地研究空间探索和导航对空间认知发展的影响。这项研究将包括7至12岁的儿童，并将在三个完全或部分依靠觅食维持生计的人群中进行，因此有机会在大自然空间中移动：Hadza（坦桑尼亚），Twe（纳米比亚）和Tsimane（玻利维亚）。 关于自然移动性（来自GPS跟踪和访谈）、空间表现（空间可视化和导航）和空间冒险的数据将用于回答三个问题：（1）儿童期更大的移动性是否与增强的空间信心和表现相关？ (2)流动性的性别差异是否源于风险偏好的性别差异？ (3)环境因素是如何影响机动性和寻路性的？ 这三个社会生活在栖息地，不同的资源斑块和地标的知名度;根据他们早期的工作与成年人，研究人员预计更大的资源斑块，以增加男性的流动性，和更大的地标知名度，以加强对男性典型的寻路策略的依赖。该项目将为培训学生跨文化研究方法和跨学科合作提供宝贵的机会。

There are gender differences in both spatial cognition and experiences in navigating space, and these differences are found across a wide range of societies. Out of doors, males tend to range farther than females and are more confident in their navigational abilities, and males also outperform females on many spatial tasks. One explanation for these effects is that having the opportunity to navigate through larger areas may enhance both spatial skills and confidence. These behavioral differences appear in middle childhood, and have the potential to shape spatial learning throughout life. This study will investigate these relationships among children in three foraging societies, to explore how children's mobility affects spatial learning and confidence, and why these often differ between girls and boys. Children in these societies have greater exposure to the natural environment than children in industrialized societies, and are given greater latitude for independent spatial exploration, which are likely to provide a learning environment conducive to good spatial and navigational ability. As a result, studying this question cross-culturally provides an opportunity to more directly examine the impact of spatial exploration and navigation on the development of spatial cognition. The outcomes of the research will have important insights for optimizing spatial reasoning across cultures.The study will include children 7 to 12 years old, and will take place in three populations that depend in whole or part on foraging for sustenance and therefore permit significant opportunities for ranging across large natural spaces: the Hadza (Tanzania), the Twe (Namibia), and the Tsimane (Bolivia). Data on natural mobility (from GPS tracking and interview), spatial performance (spatial visualization and navigation), and spatial risk-taking will be used to answer three questions: (1) Is greater mobility in childhood associated with enhanced spatial confidence and performance? (2) Do gender differences in mobility stem from gender differences in risk preference? (3) How are mobility and wayfinding shaped by environmental factors? The three societies live in habitats that vary in both resource patchiness and in landmark visibility; based on their earlier work with adults, the investigators expect greater resource patchiness to increase male mobility, and greater landmark visibility to enhance reliance on male-typical wayfinding strategies. The project will provide valuable opportunities for training students in cross-cultural research approaches and in inter-disciplinary collaboration.