Mental rotation tasks
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== Overview == | == Overview == | ||
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| - | Mental rotation tasks involve a person's ability to see a starting 2D or 3D object and to mentally rotate the object into a different position. These tasks also gauge a person's capacity to distinguish how the next object in a sequence is related to the original, starting object. | + | Mental rotation tasks involve a person's ability to see a starting 2D or 3D object and to mentally rotate the object into a different position. These tasks also gauge a person's capacity to distinguish how the next object in a sequence is related to the original, starting object. |
In order to assess competency on a mental rotation task, a participant is presented with a set number of pairs of objects. The second object in the pair is either a rotated version of the original or is a mirror image (also called an enantiomorph). If the object is rotated rather than mirrored, it is usually rotated a certain number of degrees, such as multiples of 60º. Once the task has begun, the participant's ability to distinguish between mirrored pairs and non-mirrored pairs (and subsequent response time) is recorded. | In order to assess competency on a mental rotation task, a participant is presented with a set number of pairs of objects. The second object in the pair is either a rotated version of the original or is a mirror image (also called an enantiomorph). If the object is rotated rather than mirrored, it is usually rotated a certain number of degrees, such as multiples of 60º. Once the task has begun, the participant's ability to distinguish between mirrored pairs and non-mirrored pairs (and subsequent response time) is recorded. | ||
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== Mental Rotation and Parts of the Brain == | == Mental Rotation and Parts of the Brain == | ||
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| + | The actual process of mental rotation takes place in the right cerebral hemisphere, an area also involved with perception.* | ||
According to PET research, the parietal lobe seems to be involved in the performance of mental rotation tasks. Patients with damage in the right hemisphere tend to have more trouble and slower response times when engaging in these tasks. (Stirling) A result like this is in keeping with the idea that the right hemisphere is more involved in spatially-oriented tasks and more likely to cause this kind of difficulty when damaged. | According to PET research, the parietal lobe seems to be involved in the performance of mental rotation tasks. Patients with damage in the right hemisphere tend to have more trouble and slower response times when engaging in these tasks. (Stirling) A result like this is in keeping with the idea that the right hemisphere is more involved in spatially-oriented tasks and more likely to cause this kind of difficulty when damaged. | ||
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== Resources == | == Resources == | ||
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_rotation Mental rotation - Wikipedia] | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_rotation Mental rotation - Wikipedia] | ||
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| + | Stirling, John. <u>Introducing Neuropsychology</u>. New York: Psychology Press, 2004. | ||
Revision as of 05:45, 25 April 2008
Contents |
Overview
Mental rotation tasks involve a person's ability to see a starting 2D or 3D object and to mentally rotate the object into a different position. These tasks also gauge a person's capacity to distinguish how the next object in a sequence is related to the original, starting object.
In order to assess competency on a mental rotation task, a participant is presented with a set number of pairs of objects. The second object in the pair is either a rotated version of the original or is a mirror image (also called an enantiomorph). If the object is rotated rather than mirrored, it is usually rotated a certain number of degrees, such as multiples of 60º. Once the task has begun, the participant's ability to distinguish between mirrored pairs and non-mirrored pairs (and subsequent response time) is recorded.
When performing a mental rotation task, a person progresses through five cognitive stages. The first stage is to imagine the object and the second is to rotate the object mentally until it is at a point where the person can compare it to the original object. The person actually makes the comparison in the third stage and then decides in the fourth stage whether the objects are the same. In the final stage, the participant reports his conclusion to the investigator.
Research on Mental Rotation
The amount that the second object is rotated was found by Roger Shepard and Jacqueline Metzler to be related linearly to the amount of time it took a person to determine if the objects were the same. The farther the second object was rotated, the longer it took for the person to make a decision.
Mental Rotation and Parts of the Brain
The actual process of mental rotation takes place in the right cerebral hemisphere, an area also involved with perception.*
According to PET research, the parietal lobe seems to be involved in the performance of mental rotation tasks. Patients with damage in the right hemisphere tend to have more trouble and slower response times when engaging in these tasks. (Stirling) A result like this is in keeping with the idea that the right hemisphere is more involved in spatially-oriented tasks and more likely to cause this kind of difficulty when damaged.
Boys tend to be better at mental rotation tasks than girls which could be from experience but, as this tends to be an early developmental characteristic, it could also be due to differential brain organization. (Stirling)
Resources
Stirling, John. Introducing Neuropsychology. New York: Psychology Press, 2004.
