Experienced and Inexperienced Model Makers

Abstract

Samples of Rhodesian rural and urban schoolboys who make wire toys were compared with a sample of urban schoolgirls who do not make such toys. No significant differences in the ability to abstract the essential features of simple geometric models were observed when the children were asked to make such models of wire, although girls appeared to be less dextrous. On a drawing task, on the other hand, the rural sample performed less well than the urban sample. Implications of these findings are discussed.