Evidence of a relational spatial strategy in learning the centre of enclosures in human children (Homo sapiens).

摘要: Three- to five-year-old children were trained localize a sensor hidden underneath the floor, in centre of square-shaped enclosure (1.5m×1.5m). Walking over caused pleasant music be played environment, thus engaging playful spatial search. Children easily learned find training environment starting from random positions. After training, tested enclosures different size and/or shape: larger (3m×3m), rectangle-shaped (1.5m×3m), an equilateral triangle-shaped (side 3m) and isosceles (base 1.5m; sides 3m). searched central region enclosures, their precision varying as function similarity testing enclosure's shape enclosure. This suggests that relational strategy was used, it depended on encoding geometrical shape. result highlights distinctive role geometric enclosed spaces place learning children, already observed nonhuman species.