The purpose of this research was to develop and administer a series of treatments that resulted in evidence of Visual Problem Solving ability changes and increased levels of visual differentiation in children. Piaget has posited the possibility of a lag in the exhibition of new percepts in observable form due to psychomotor limitations. Gibson and Gagne have described various components of visual perceptual growth that emphasize first hand experiences in the environment and a problem solving orientation as possible perceptual affectors. A series of Visual Problem Solving tasks were constructed that employed the medium of photography and encouraged children to closely attend to stimuli in the visual array.The sample utilized in this investigation was comprised of 75 students equally divided between three intact second and third grade level combined classroom groups at the Burris Laboratory School, Muncie, Indiana. The three groups were assigned to experimental or control group status by use of a table of random numbers. One group received Visual Problem Solving training that stressed Perceptual Principles; a second group received Visual Problem Solving training that emphasized the traditionally taught Visual Elements of Design; and a third group served as a control which received no specific training or treatments. The subjects in all three groups were pre- and post-tested using the Children's Embedded Figures Test (CEFT) and the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test (MVPT) as measures of visual perceptual functioning. In addition to these standardized instruments, a rating scale was developed expressly for this study. The Dunn Photographic Rating Scale (DPRS) was employed for measurement of possible visual information handling differences between Groups 1 and 2 with regard to photographic activities.The data collected during this research was subjected to multivariate analysis of variance and covariance. Correlation coefficients were computed to evaluate possible relationships between the measures and to obtain estimates of instrument reliability. An alpha level of .05 was employed to test the null hypotheses. Review of the data led to the following conclusions:Subjects receiving treatments that emphasized Visual Problem Solving in conjunction with Perceptual Principles achieved significantly higher results on the Children's Embedded Figures Test than subjects in the other two groups.Analysis of data obtained from subject performance on the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test was inconclusive.Photographic performance as measured by the Dunn Photographic Rating Scale uncovered significant differences between the Perceptual Principles Group and the Elements of Design Group. The Perceptual Principles Group achieved significantly higher levels throughout the five treatments.The most important general finding in this investigation concerned the facilitating effect between Visual Problem Solving methodologies and photographic activity by children. Increases in visual perceptual performance by Perceptual Principles Group 1 provided strong support for instructional strategies that seek to guide children in the formation of higher order visual rules, and contiguity in the application of these guidelines. The evidence tentatively suggested that the photographic medium may have provided a form of visual perceptual activity that increased the mobility of the perceiver, thereby increasing the perceiver's first hand experiences with the environment and ability to isolate visual data. In addition, the lack of emphasis on psychomotor development engendered by the photographic medium was considered to be of value in eliciting new percepts in visual form.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/175973 |
| Date | 03 June 2011 |
| Creators | Dunn, Phillip Charles |
| Contributors | Dorethy, Rex E. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | viii, 155 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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