ERIC Number: EJ1155171
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1524-8372
EISSN: N/A
The Latent Structure of Spatial Skills and Mathematics: A Replication of the Two-Factor Model
Mix, Kelly S.; Levine, Susan C.; Cheng, Yi-Ling; Young, Christopher J.; Hambrick, David Z.; Konstantopoulos, Spyros
Journal of Cognition and Development, v18 n4 p465-492 2017
In a previous study, Mix et al. (2016) reported that spatial skill and mathematics were composed of 2 highly correlated, domain-specific factors, with a few cross-domain loadings. The overall structure was consistent across grade (kindergarten, 3rd grade, 6th grade), but the cross-domain loadings varied with age. The present study sought to replicate these patterns. Using the data from Wave 1 (n = 854) and data collected from a 2nd sample of kindergarten (n = 251), 3rd-grade (n = 247), and 6th-grade students (n = 241) with the same measures as in Wave 1, we carried out a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis to compare the 2 waves. We also completed several analyses of the Wave 2 data alone. The overall pattern obtained in Wave 1-2 highly correlated domain-specific factors--was clearly replicated in Wave 2. However, more subtle effects involving cross-domain loading were only partially replicated and generally appear fragile and context-specific. In Wave 2, we also included 2 new measures (i.e., proportion matching and fraction identification) that were analyzed in a separate model. Including these new measures did not change the overall pattern of factors and domain-specific factor loadings but did alter some of the cross-domain loadings.
Descriptors: Spatial Ability, Mathematics Instruction, Kindergarten, Grade 3, Grade 6, Factor Analysis, Correlation, Visualization, Visual Perception, Familiarity, Novelty (Stimulus Dimension), Children, Intelligence Tests, Age Differences, Pictorial Stimuli, Mathematics Tests, Problem Solving, Fractions, Cognitive Ability, Achievement Tests, Statistical Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Kindergarten
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children; Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A