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Spatial Cognition II pp 399–418Cite as

Investigation of Age and Sex Effects in Spatial Cognitions as Assessed in a Locomotor Maze and in a 2-D Computer Maze

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 1849))

Abstract

Spatial behavior was assessed by a locomotor maze and a comparable 2-D computer version of this maze. Probable age and sex effects were studied before and after puberty, and in later adulthood. No sex differences were found in either task. In the locomotor task, age groups didn’t differ with respect to exploration and orientation. The challenge provided by the PC task was greater for children and middle-aged adults. During acquisition of the locomotor maze children were inferior compared to the two adult groups, students tended to be slightly better than middle-aged adults. In the PC task differences in acquisition were mostly found between the children’s group and the two adult groups. Spatial memory errors showed a developmental course. In both tasks spatial performance in adults followed a “one-trial” course, whereas in children a gradual decline of errors across learning trials was seen. It is concluded that apparent similarities between the motor and non-motor task may account for some fundamental strategic processes underlying these different spatial tasks.

This research was supported by the DFG governmental program “Spatial Cognition” (Le 846/2-2).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Psychology, Martin-Luther-University, Halle, Brandbergweg 23, D-06099, Halle, Germany

    Bernd Leplow

  2. Dept. of Psychology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Olshausenstr. 62, D-24098, Kiel, Germany

    Doris Höll & Lingju Zeng

  3. Clinic for Neurosurgery, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Weimarer Str. 8, D-24106, Kiel, Germany

    Maximilian Mehdorn

Authors
  1. Bernd Leplow
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  2. Doris Höll
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  3. Lingju Zeng
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  4. Maximilian Mehdorn
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fachbereich Informatik, Universität Hamburg, Vogt-Kölln-Str. 30, 22527, Hamburg, Germany

    Christian Freksa  & Christopher Habel  & 

  2. Fakultät für Informatik, Technische Universität München, 80290, München, Germany

    Wilfried Brauer

  3. FB 1 - Psychologie, Universität Trier, 54286, Trier, Germany

    Karl F. Wender

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Leplow, B., Höll, D., Zeng, L., Mehdorn, M. (2000). Investigation of Age and Sex Effects in Spatial Cognitions as Assessed in a Locomotor Maze and in a 2-D Computer Maze. In: Freksa, C., Habel, C., Brauer, W., Wender, K.F. (eds) Spatial Cognition II. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 1849. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45460-8_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45460-8_28

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