Construction and Validation of a New Measure of Spatial Orientation Ability: An Item Response Theory Approach.

This article focuses on the development and validation of a 15-item test designed to measure spatial orientation (SO) ability in egocentric and allocentric frames of reference among preadolescent and adolescent high school students aged 7 to 16 years. The test was refined and validated through three studies involving 47, 135, and 600 participants, employing Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory analyses, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and reliability assessments. Results indicate that the test items effectively discriminate SO ability related to both egocentric (self-based) and allocentric (environment-based) spatial frames, demonstrating good reliability, validity, and factorial structure. This standardized paper-pencil measure offers a practical tool for assessing spatial orientation across a broad developmental range and addresses limitations of existing tests that typically focus on only one frame of reference or require complex experimental setups.