# Child spatial ability: What role do parents play?

> **NIH NIH F31** · FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $27,268

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Spatial ability encompasses the ability to understand size, shape, location, direction and distance, to
reorient/navigate in space, to use maps/diagrams, to mentally rotate objects, and to recreate patterns. Spatial
abilities can be categorized as intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic spatial ability involves understanding the relations
within an object or between an object’s constituent parts. Extrinsic spatial thinking involves understanding the
relations between two or more objects or between an object and its environment. Spatial skills predict children’s
early math and science achievement, and later entry and success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The identification of factors that predict individual differences in spatial thinking
is important because since spatial thinking is malleable, we can use this information to develop evidence-based
interventions to improve STEM learning. Little research exists on the influence of parent characteristics in
explaining individual differences in children’s spatial thinking, despite theoretical motivation to investigate this
relation. This project aims to examine whether, and to what extent, parent characteristics, including their spatial
ability, STEM interest, and spatial anxiety, directly and indirectly via parent toy preference and frequency of
parent-child engagement in spatial activities at home, predict individual differences in children’s intrinsic (i.e.,
mental rotation) and extrinsic spatial ability (i.e., spatial scaling). A total of 150 parent-child dyads (children aged
4-6 years) will be recruited through various social media platforms. This study will be conducted remotely via a
one-hour zoom video call with a trained experimenter. Parents will be asked questions about their demographics,
STEM interest, spatial anxiety, spatial activities at home, and toy preferences for their child. Intrinsic (mental
rotation) and extrinsic (spatial scaling) spatial tasks that have been adapted for remote administration will be
given separately to parent and child. Structural equational modeling will be used to evaluate the direct and
indirect effects of parent characteristics on children’s spatial ability.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10235530
- **Project number:** 1F31HD105422-01
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Nelcida Garcia
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $27,268
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-06-19 → 2022-02-07

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10235530

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10235530, Child spatial ability: What role do parents play? (1F31HD105422-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10235530. Licensed CC0.

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