Kearins (1981) Study on Visual Spatial Memory

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What was the aim of Kearins (1981) study?

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To investigate whether Australian Aboriginal children have superior visual spatial memory compared to white Australian children due to cultural upbringing.

Front

What type of study was conducted by Kearins in 1981?

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A quasi-experiment comparing two naturally occurring cultural groups.

Front

Describe the procedure used in Kearins (1981) study.

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44 Aboriginal and 44 white Australian adolescents were shown 20 objects arranged on a 5x5 grid, then asked to recreate the arrangement from memory across four trials with different object types.

Front

What were the findings of Kearins (1981) study?

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Aboriginal children outperformed white children on all spatial memory tasks, especially when the objects were natural and culturally relevant.

Front

What conclusion was drawn from Kearins (1981) study?

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Cultural upbringing in a nomadic desert environment enhanced spatial cognition through environmental adaptation.

Front

What does Kearins (1981) study demonstrate about culture and cognition?

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It demonstrates that culture can affect cognition, showing that cognitive processes like memory can be shaped by cultural demands or environmental factors.