Malleability of spatial skills: bridging developmental psychology and toy design for joyful STEAM development
Previous research has established that advances in spatial cognition predict STEAM success, and construction toys provide ample opportunities to foster spatial cognition. Despite various construction toy designs in the market, mostly brick-shaped building blocks are used in spatial cognition researc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1137003/full |
| _version_ | 1797687523013558272 |
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| author | Çiğdem İrem İleri Melisa Erşan Duru Kalaça Duru Kalaça Aykut Coşkun Tilbe Göksun Aylin C. Küntay |
| author_facet | Çiğdem İrem İleri Melisa Erşan Duru Kalaça Duru Kalaça Aykut Coşkun Tilbe Göksun Aylin C. Küntay |
| author_sort | Çiğdem İrem İleri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous research has established that advances in spatial cognition predict STEAM success, and construction toys provide ample opportunities to foster spatial cognition. Despite various construction toy designs in the market, mostly brick-shaped building blocks are used in spatial cognition research. This group of toys is known to enhance mental rotation; however, mental rotation is not the only way to comprehend the environment three-dimensionally. More specifically, mental folding and perspective taking training have not received enough attention as they can also be enhanced with the construction toys, which are framed based on the 2×2 classification of spatial skills (intrinsic-static, intrinsic-dynamic, extrinsic-static, extrinsic-dynamic). To address these gaps, we compile evidence from both developmental psychology and toy design fields to show the central role played by mental folding and perspective taking skills as well as the importance of the variety in toy designs. The review was conducted systematically by searching peer reviewed design and psychology journals and conference proceedings. We suggest that, over and above their physical properties, construction toys offer affordances to elicit spatial language, gesture, and narrative among child-caregiver dyads. These interactions are essential for the development of spatial skills in both children and their caregivers. As developmental psychology and toy design fields are two domains that can contribute to the purpose of developing construction toys to boost spatial skills, we put forward six recommendations to bridge the current gaps between these fields. Consequently, new toy designs and empirical evidence regarding malleability of different spatial skills can contribute to the informal STEAM development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T01:19:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-134650bcc4974288a4a5bb810780d033 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T01:19:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-134650bcc4974288a4a5bb810780d0332023-09-13T06:59:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-09-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.11370031137003Malleability of spatial skills: bridging developmental psychology and toy design for joyful STEAM developmentÇiğdem İrem İleri0Melisa Erşan1Duru Kalaça2Duru Kalaça3Aykut Coşkun4Tilbe Göksun5Aylin C. Küntay6Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, TürkiyeDepartment of Design and Technology, Parsons School of Design, The New School New York, NY, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, TürkiyeDepartment of Media and Visual Arts, Koç University, Istanbul, TürkiyeKoç University-Arçelik Research Center for Creative Industries, Koç University, Istanbul, TürkiyeDepartment of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, TürkiyeDepartment of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, TürkiyePrevious research has established that advances in spatial cognition predict STEAM success, and construction toys provide ample opportunities to foster spatial cognition. Despite various construction toy designs in the market, mostly brick-shaped building blocks are used in spatial cognition research. This group of toys is known to enhance mental rotation; however, mental rotation is not the only way to comprehend the environment three-dimensionally. More specifically, mental folding and perspective taking training have not received enough attention as they can also be enhanced with the construction toys, which are framed based on the 2×2 classification of spatial skills (intrinsic-static, intrinsic-dynamic, extrinsic-static, extrinsic-dynamic). To address these gaps, we compile evidence from both developmental psychology and toy design fields to show the central role played by mental folding and perspective taking skills as well as the importance of the variety in toy designs. The review was conducted systematically by searching peer reviewed design and psychology journals and conference proceedings. We suggest that, over and above their physical properties, construction toys offer affordances to elicit spatial language, gesture, and narrative among child-caregiver dyads. These interactions are essential for the development of spatial skills in both children and their caregivers. As developmental psychology and toy design fields are two domains that can contribute to the purpose of developing construction toys to boost spatial skills, we put forward six recommendations to bridge the current gaps between these fields. Consequently, new toy designs and empirical evidence regarding malleability of different spatial skills can contribute to the informal STEAM development.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1137003/fullinformal STEAM developmenttoy designconstruction toysmental rotationmental foldingperspective taking |
| spellingShingle | Çiğdem İrem İleri Melisa Erşan Duru Kalaça Duru Kalaça Aykut Coşkun Tilbe Göksun Aylin C. Küntay Malleability of spatial skills: bridging developmental psychology and toy design for joyful STEAM development Frontiers in Psychology informal STEAM development toy design construction toys mental rotation mental folding perspective taking |
| title | Malleability of spatial skills: bridging developmental psychology and toy design for joyful STEAM development |
| title_full | Malleability of spatial skills: bridging developmental psychology and toy design for joyful STEAM development |
| title_fullStr | Malleability of spatial skills: bridging developmental psychology and toy design for joyful STEAM development |
| title_full_unstemmed | Malleability of spatial skills: bridging developmental psychology and toy design for joyful STEAM development |
| title_short | Malleability of spatial skills: bridging developmental psychology and toy design for joyful STEAM development |
| title_sort | malleability of spatial skills bridging developmental psychology and toy design for joyful steam development |
| topic | informal STEAM development toy design construction toys mental rotation mental folding perspective taking |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1137003/full |
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