Spatial Categorization and its Relationship with Cognitive Development: A Pilot Study in Chilean Spanish

Abstract

In this article we report a pilot study which explored the relationship between spatial categorization and cognitive development. Eight participants from four age ranges (infants, teenagers, middle aged adults, old adults) were asked to describe the location of certain elements in a picture, in order to examine which aspects of the spatial location expressions showed differences across age ranges. Analysis showed that spatial categorization grows complex with age, with differences being observed in relation to five parameters: system of reference, reference frame, viewpoint, multidimensionality and visual tracking pattern.