PERFORMANCE AND VERBALLY EXPRESSED UNDERS TANDING OF THE PRINCIPLE INTHE WATER-LEVEL TASK

The present study focused on the question of whether the verbally expr essed understanding of the principle of the water-level task is relate d to task performance and what temporal relation is. Furthermore, the association between the ability to state the principle of the water-le vel task verbally and performance on other types of spatial tasks (men tal rotation and embedded figures task) were analyzed. Subjects partic ipating in the present longitudinal study were 508 children and adoles cents of grades 2 to 10, Based on binomial mixture analyses, three sub groups showing different response behaviors on the water-level task we re distinguished: (a) bottom parallel, (b) randomlike, and (c) correct responders. The results show a high probability of correct task solut ions for subjects with a verbally expressed understanding of the water -level principle. This was not only true at the same time of measureme nt, but also later in that knowledge of the principle enhance performa nce. Furthermore, verbal knowledge about the principle of the water-le vel task is related to the performance on other types of spatial tasks .