The spatial curriculum produced longitudinal neural changes during reasoning: increased aIPS activity, increased SpatialMap-to-DLPFC connectivity, and increased nonspatial-to-spatial representational similarity¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (4 entries) · causal r2 · q2 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2022 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Geospatial students showed greater longitudinal increases than controls in aIPS activity during the Reasoning task within spatial-cognition regions. → Cortes 2022 q2 i3 Geospatial students showed increased similarity between nonspatial and spatial trial patterns in aIPS (spatialization), greater than controls. → Cortes 2022 (2) q2 i? Geospatial students increased more than controls in functional connectivity of SpatialMap regions to a DLPFC region implicated in verbal reasoning. → Cortes 2022 (3) q2 i? Increased SpatialMap-to-DLPFC connectivity predicted reasoning improvement, but its mediation of transfer was not significant. → Cortes 2022 (4)

Evidence¶

Cortes 2022¶

Cortes, R. A., Peterson, E. G., Kraemer, D. J. M., Kolvoord, R. A., Uttal, D. H., Dinh, N., Weinberger, A. B., Daker, R. J., Lyons, I. M., Goldman, D., & Green, A. E. (2022). Transfer from spatial education to verbal reasoning and prediction of transfer from learning-related neural change. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo3555

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Whole-brain Group-by-Time ANOVA in the 63 fMRI participants; the aIPS cluster overlapped the Neurosynth 'spatial' map (SpatialMap) and was retained, while the aIPS-SPL cluster did not overlap and was excluded. No changes were greater for controls within SpatialMap.

"This analysis revealed a Group-by-Time interaction, indicating longitudinal changes in activity during Reasoning that were greater for students who received the Geospatial curriculum than for control students in two regions of PPC: left anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS; Fig. 3A) and a cluster extending from left aIPS into left superior parietal lobule (aIPS-SPL; table S19)."

Cortes 2022 (2)¶

Cortes, R. A., Peterson, E. G., Kraemer, D. J. M., Kolvoord, R. A., Uttal, D. H., Dinh, N., Weinberger, A. B., Daker, R. J., Lyons, I. M., Goldman, D., & Green, A. E. (2022). Transfer from spatial education to verbal reasoning and prediction of transfer from learning-related neural change. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo3555

q2 · i3 · causal · r2

Representational similarity analysis in the fMRI subsample: nonspatial relation trials became more similar to spatial trials in aIPS, a large printed effect (d = 0.83). The Group-by-Time ANOVA confirmed the increase was greater in Geospatial students than controls (np2 = 0.072).

"Geospatial students showed increased similarity between nonspatial and spatial trials in aIPS (paired t test for T1 versus T2 similarity in Geospatial students: t = 3.43, P = 0.001, d = 0.83; Supplementary Materials)."

Cortes 2022 (3)¶

Cortes, R. A., Peterson, E. G., Kraemer, D. J. M., Kolvoord, R. A., Uttal, D. H., Dinh, N., Weinberger, A. B., Daker, R. J., Lyons, I. M., Goldman, D., & Green, A. E. (2022). Transfer from spatial education to verbal reasoning and prediction of transfer from learning-related neural change. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo3555

q2 · i? · causal · r2

PPI-based functional connectivity analysis to a DLPFC seed from a meta-analysis of verbal syllogistic reasoning, masked with SpatialMap, in the fMRI subsample. No connectivity changes were greater for control students. A Group-by-Time-by-Gender interaction indicated female Geospatial students showed greater connectivity increases than males.

"Consistent with the MMT-based prediction, this analysis revealed that Geospatial students increased more than controls in connectivity of SpatialMap regions to DLPFC (Fig. 3C, fig. S10, and table S23)."

Cortes 2022 (4)¶

Cortes, R. A., Peterson, E. G., Kraemer, D. J. M., Kolvoord, R. A., Uttal, D. H., Dinh, N., Weinberger, A. B., Daker, R. J., Lyons, I. M., Goldman, D., & Green, A. E. (2022). Transfer from spatial education to verbal reasoning and prediction of transfer from learning-related neural change. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo3555

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Regression in the fMRI subsample controlling for PSAT, GPA, and gender: connectivity change predicted reasoning improvement. Subsequent mediation indicated a medium indirect effect (14% of total variance) that was not significant (indirect effect, P = 0.088); only regression coefficients are printed, so impact is null.

"Increased connectivity of SpatialMap to DLPFC showed a medium effect on ΔReasoning (β = 0.309), and this association was significant (P = 0.016; table S30)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Curriculum-related neural changes during spatial scanning predict and mediate transfer to verbal reasoning — related
• Neural change during spatial scanning predicts verbal reasoning transfer better than traditional performance-based assessments, and best prediction combines both — related
• A spatial STEM curriculum yields far transfer to improved verbal deductive reasoning in high school students, including on nonspatial relation trials — related
• Improvement in spatial scanning predicts and mediates the curriculum's transfer effect to verbal reasoning — related
• The spatial curriculum produced near transfer to improved spatial scanning and increased self-reported spatial habits of mind, but not to mental rotation — related