ERIC Number: EJ1023528
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
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ISSN: ISSN-0278-3193
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Spatial Ability: A Neglected Talent in Educational and Occupational Settings
Kell, Harrison J.; Lubinski, David
Roeper Review, v35 n4 p219-230 2013
For over 60 years, longitudinal research on tens of thousands of high ability and intellectually precocious youth has consistently revealed the importance of spatial ability for hands-on creative accomplishments and the development of expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) disciplines. Yet, individual differences in spatial ability are seldom assessed for educational counseling and selection. Students especially talented in spatial visualization relative to their status on mathematical and verbal reasoning are particularly likely to be underserved by our educational institutions. Evidence for the importance of assessing spatial ability is reviewed and ways to utilize information about individual differences in this attribute in learning and work settings are offered. The literature reviewed stresses the importance of spatial ability in real-world settings and constitutes a rare instance in the social sciences where more research is not needed. What is needed is the incorporation of spatial ability into talent identification procedures and research on curriculum development and training, along with other cognitive abilities harboring differential--and incremental--validity for socially valued outcomes beyond IQ (or, "g", general intelligence).
Descriptors: Spatial Ability, Individual Differences, Ability Identification, Talent Identification, Cognitive Ability, Creativity, Human Capital, STEM Education, Intellectual Development, Cognitive Tests, Curriculum Design, College Admission, Educational Practices, Screening Tests, Literature Reviews
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
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Language: English
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