| The hypothesis that individuals employ one of two fundamentally different processing styles when solving spatial visualization tasks, either holistic/simultaneous or analytic/sequential, is explored. Subjects observed a two dimensional stimulus figure, mentally transformed the figure into its three dimensional "folded" shape, and compared the transformed representation to a subsequently presented three dimensional response form which was either the "same as" or "different than" an accurate "folding" of the stimulus figure. Items differed in verbal complexity (number of sides marked and type of marking) and form complexity (number of folds).;Prototypical holistic and analytic subjects were identified by relating three indices of processing style. These indices are: (1) statistical comparisons of response latencies across the verbal complexity dimension for each subject at each form level, (2) a visual inspection of response latency data graphed over the verbal complexity dimension, and (3) an analysis of slope of response latency data graphed over the verbal complexity dimension.;Differences between prototypical groups in task performance on four variables (speed, accuracy, type of error, and pattern of errors) were explored for significant effects as well as trends. In general, group response latencies do not differ overall, though prototypical analytic subjects respond significantly more quickly at the lowest verbal complexity level and tend to respond more slowly at the highest level; prototypical holistic subjects tend to make more errors; and it appears that prototypical holistic subjects may deal relatively better with external configuration than internal detail while the converse applies to prototypical analytic subjects. A post-hoc explanation of performance patterns of prototypical subjects, based on an interaction between group and specific item characteristics, is proposed.;Response latencies were also analyzed for the effects of form complexity on processing style. The hypothesis that subjects shift from a holistic processing strategy to an analytic one as form complexity increases was not upheld, though large variances make these results inconclusive. |
