Spatial components of mathematical problem solving

It was hypothesized that the early part of mathematical problem solving, specifically the processes of model integration and analogical mapping, tap spatial abilities. Testing the hypothesis, this study explored the potential for spatial reasoning in both the early and late processes of problem solving. An interference paradigm that employed memory for spatial dot patterns and number sequences demonstrated that the early part of solving a math problem requires more spatial resources than the late portion. Additional data from two spatial tasks offered insight into the specific forms of spatial reasoning that may support mathematical performance