Historical Evolution of Spatial Abilities

Historical evolution and cross-cultural differences in spatial abilities are analyzed. Spatial abilities have been found to be significantly associated with the complexity of geographical conditions and survival demands. Although impaired spatial cognition is found in cases of, exclusively or predom...

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Main Author: A. Ardila
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1993-01-01
Series:Behavioural Neurology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-1993-6203
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author A. Ardila
author_facet A. Ardila
author_sort A. Ardila
collection DOAJ
description Historical evolution and cross-cultural differences in spatial abilities are analyzed. Spatial abilities have been found to be significantly associated with the complexity of geographical conditions and survival demands. Although impaired spatial cognition is found in cases of, exclusively or predominantly, right hemisphere pathology, it is proposed that this asymmetry may depend on the degree of training in spatial abilities. It is further proposed that spatial cognition might have evolved in a parallel way with cultural evolution and environmental demands. Contemporary city humans might be using spatial abilities in some new, conceptual tasks that did not exist in prehistoric times: mathematics, reading, writing, mechanics, music, etc. Cross-cultural analysis of spatial abilities in different human groups, normalization of neuropsychological testing instruments, and clinical observations of spatial ability disturbances in people with different cultural backgrounds and various spatial requirements, are required to construct a neuropsychological theory of brain organization of spatial cognition.
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spelling doaj-art-3c2087e2daf94c9498d338a12aece4c62025-02-03T05:49:40ZengWileyBehavioural Neurology0953-41801875-85841993-01-0162838710.3233/BEN-1993-6203Historical Evolution of Spatial AbilitiesA. Ardila0Instituto Colombiano de Neuropsicología, Bogotá, Colombia, USAHistorical evolution and cross-cultural differences in spatial abilities are analyzed. Spatial abilities have been found to be significantly associated with the complexity of geographical conditions and survival demands. Although impaired spatial cognition is found in cases of, exclusively or predominantly, right hemisphere pathology, it is proposed that this asymmetry may depend on the degree of training in spatial abilities. It is further proposed that spatial cognition might have evolved in a parallel way with cultural evolution and environmental demands. Contemporary city humans might be using spatial abilities in some new, conceptual tasks that did not exist in prehistoric times: mathematics, reading, writing, mechanics, music, etc. Cross-cultural analysis of spatial abilities in different human groups, normalization of neuropsychological testing instruments, and clinical observations of spatial ability disturbances in people with different cultural backgrounds and various spatial requirements, are required to construct a neuropsychological theory of brain organization of spatial cognition.http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-1993-6203
spellingShingle A. Ardila
Historical Evolution of Spatial Abilities
Behavioural Neurology
title Historical Evolution of Spatial Abilities
title_full Historical Evolution of Spatial Abilities
title_fullStr Historical Evolution of Spatial Abilities
title_full_unstemmed Historical Evolution of Spatial Abilities
title_short Historical Evolution of Spatial Abilities
title_sort historical evolution of spatial abilities
url http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-1993-6203
work_keys_str_mv AT aardila historicalevolutionofspatialabilities