The Development Of Spatial Transitive Reasoning Of Junior High School Students And Its Premise Effect

The Spatial Transitive Inference Test was examined in 609 middle school students from a public school of Yinchuan to explore the development of spatial transitive inference. Emphasis also was placed on assessing the effect of reasoning premise, space model quantity and stimulating material on spatial transitive reasoning.Study one was designed to investigate the development of 1-dimensional spatial transitive inference, another major purpose was to determine the effect of reasoning premise and space model quantity on 1-dimensional spatial transitive inference. In study 2, the development of 2-dimensional spatial transitive inference was examined, as well as the effect of reasoning premise, space model quantity, and stimulating material on 2-dimensional spatial transitive inference.Results showed:(1) A significant grade difference in the accuracy and reaction time of 1- and 2- dimensional spatial transitive inference was obtained. While the main effect of gender was not significant. (2) Space model quantity showed significant in the accuracy and reaction time of 1- dimensional spatial transitive inference, as well as the accuracy of 2-dimensional spatial transitive inference. (3) The main effect of reasoning premise quantity showed significant in the accuracy and reaction time of 1- and 2-dimensional spatial transitive inference. (4) The interaction of reasoning premise and space model quantity showed significant in the accuracy of 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional spatial transitive inference (5) The stimulating material showed significant in the accuracy of 2- dimensional spatial transitive inference.The main conclusions were:(1) Developmental changes in the spatial transitive inference ability of middle school students have been found, with increasing age, they tend to perform better. That is, the spatial transitive inference ability has been developed rapidly in the first and second grade, while tends to be steady in third grade. (2) The reasoning premise and space model quantity influence the judgment and information processing of spatial transitive inference in middle school students. With less reasoning premise and space model quantity, more correct reasoning judgment was made quickly. On the contrary, it is more difficult. (3) The stimulating material has an effect on spatial transitive inference judgment. Specifically, students could make more correct spatial reasoning judgment in meaningless letters than common object name material.