scholarly journals Mental-Rotation Effect: A Function of Elementary Stimulus Discriminability?

Perception ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 1301-1316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Förster ◽  
Ralf-Peter Gebhardt ◽  
Karen Lindlar ◽  
Martina Siemann ◽  
Juan D Delius
Keyword(s):  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Rotation Effect ◽  
Special Effects ◽  
Complex Stimuli ◽  
Complex Shapes ◽  
Decision Speed ◽  
Special Case ◽  
Orientation Invariance ◽  
Orientation Disparity

It is well known that when humans have to decide whether two differently oriented shapes are identical or mirror images their performance deteriorates as a function of the orientation disparity (mental-rotation effect). Here it is shown that the effect can also be obtained reliably with non-mirror-image, arbitrarily different polygons provided they are previously selected to be hard to discriminate. The slope of the decision speed versus orientation disparity functions was found to be inversely related to the discriminability of shapes under conditions of no, ie 0°, orientation disparity. Easily discriminable polygon pairs yielded essentially flat, no-effect functions. The arbitrary polygons that were more difficult to discriminate produced a rotation effect that was similar to those of mirror-image polygon pairs. Mirror images in this context may only be a special case of hard-to-discriminate stimuli. We also show that the speed of judging whether simple lines were of the same or different length was similarly subject to a rotation effect provided that the length differences were sufficiently small, ie when their baseline dicriminability was poor enough. It is suggested that the mental rotation of complex shapes (eg polygons) may build on rotation effects pertaining to the simpler elements of which they are composed. Further, some special effects associated with the rotation of such simpler components may explain certain peculiarities apparent in orientation invariance functions obtained with complex stimuli.

Mirror Image Reversal: Is what we See what we Present?

Perception ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 869-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reg C Morris
Keyword(s):  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Object Image ◽  
Physical Explanation ◽  
Image Match ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Image Reversal

Many psychological explanations have been advanced to explain left—right reversal in mirror images, but Gregory and Haig have each proposed a physical explanation for the reversal: the first is based upon the physical rotation used to present the surface of the object to the mirror, and the second on the classical optics of reflection. These physical explanations are considered together with an explanation based on object symmetry. The apparent reversal of directional coordinates (eg left and right) that occurs in the mirror images of most objects is distinguished from reversals achieved by physical or mental rotation. It is also distinguished from the object—image match that can be achieved by mental or physical rotation of some symmetrical objects. It is concluded that the left—right reversal is not specifically optical, but is determined by multiple factors, including object symmetry, the conventional and gravitational positioning of top and bottom and back and front, and our greater familiarity with right—left than with top—bottom or back—front reversals.

Visual Mental Rotation: Different Processes Used by Pilots

1992 ◽  
Vol 36 (18) ◽  
pp. 1368-1372
Author(s):  
Itiel E. Dror
Keyword(s):  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Single Step ◽  
The Other ◽  
Angular Rotation ◽  
Small Perturbations ◽  
Starting Position ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Complex Stimuli ◽  
And Control ◽  
Incremental Rotation

Air Force pilots and control subjects were tested on a visual “mental rotation” task. Nine of the 16 pilots, as well as all of the 16 control subjects, required more time to rotate greater angular distances. The performance of the other 7 pilots was unique: their response time did not increase with greater angular rotations. The results suggest that visual mental rotation can be accomplished by at least two different processes. One process involves incremental object rotations in a multi-step mapping –like an actual physical rotation of an object– going through intermediate stages. This process requires more time to rotate greater angular distances. The other process involves direct translation in a single-step mapping. In this process, the starting position transforms into the final position in one mapping without any intermediate steps, and thus does not require more time to rotate greater angular rotation. The lack of intermediate stages, which may allow small perturbations in location to be corrected, affects the accuracy of this process; this is particularly apparent when more complex stimuli are rotated. The pilots who did not show incremental rotation effects had different and distinct error patterns, their errors increased when rotating the more complex stimuli.

Producibility Benefits of the Swath Configuration

1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (01) ◽  
pp. 23-29
Author(s):  
Richard L. De Vries
Keyword(s):  
Relative Efficiency ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Structural Configuration ◽  
Significant Cost ◽  
Design Flexibility ◽  
Complex Shapes ◽  
Major Equipment

Producibility is the term used in shipyards to describe the relative efficiency of constructing one design over another. The producibility of a ship is primarily a function of the ship's configuration. The "box-like" structure of the small waterplane area, twin hull (SWATH) enhances the design flexibility in both the spatial arrangement of the compartments and the outfit arrangement within each compartment. One of the major benefits of the SWATH design is the expected dramatic increase in the number and size of distributive system outfit packages. The location of the major equipment (such as the gas turbine, main propulsion generators and the diesel ship service generators) high and in the center of the upper structure on the SWATH increases the time available to assemble complete outfit packages. The SWATH structural configuration has few complex shapes or intersections, as the majority of the structure is rectilinear and the underwater hulls are composed of simple cones and cylinders. Further, the homogeneity of the SWATH structure results in repeating design details generally throughout the length of the ship with port and starboard mirror image structure. Thus, it is possible to achieve significant cost savings in every area of design and construction. Properly designed, the SWATH configuration can be the most cost-effective platform available for today's low to medium payload ships.

scholarly journals Mental Rotation in Human Infants

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 1063-1066 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Moore ◽  
Scott P. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Dimensional Space ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Familiar Object ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Human Infants ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Three Dimensional Space

A sex difference on mental-rotation tasks has been demonstrated repeatedly, but not in children less than 4 years of age. To demonstrate mental rotation in human infants, we habituated 5-month-old infants to an object revolving through a 240° angle. In successive test trials, infants saw the habituation object or its mirror image revolving through a previously unseen 120° angle. Only the male infants appeared to recognize the familiar object from the new perspective, a feat requiring mental rotation. These data provide evidence for a sex difference in mental rotation of an object through three-dimensional space, consistently seen in adult populations.

Mental Rotation Effect on Adult Immigrants with Long-term Exposure to High Altitude in Tibet: An ERP Study

Neuroscience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 386 ◽  
pp. 339-350
Author(s):  
Hailin Ma ◽  
Xiaoyan Li ◽  
Ming Liu ◽  
Huifang Ma ◽  
Delong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Rotation Effect ◽  
Adult Immigrants

Adults’ Sex Difference in a Dynamic Mental Rotation Task

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Heil ◽  
Markus Krüger ◽  
Horst Krist ◽  
Scott P. Johnson ◽  
David S. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Familiar Object ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Mental Rotation Test ◽  
Sex Effects ◽  
Original Figure ◽  
Dynamic Version ◽  
Image Cube

Abstract. With the Mental Rotation Test (MRT), large and reliable sex differences are found. Used with children younger than about 9 or 10 years, MRT performance is at chance level. Simpler tasks used with younger children have revealed inconclusive results. Moore and Johnson (2008 , 2011 ) observed sex differences in infants using a habituation task with 3D cube figures rotating back and forth in depth through a 240° angle. Thereafter, female infants treated similarly the original figure and a mirror-image cube figure presented revolving through the previously unseen 120° angle, whereas male infants behaved as if they recognized the familiar object. In the present study, 256 adults participated in the MRT as well as in a modified two-alternative forced-choice dynamic version of the infants’ task. Sex differences were present for both tasks. More importantly, there was a positive correlation in performance across both tasks for both women and men. Since the new task turned out to be simpler, it might be suitable also for children. We present the first, although indirect, evidence that the sex effects reported by Moore and Johnson might indeed reflect early sex differences in mental rotation.

A Sex Difference in Mental Rotation in Young Infants

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 1067-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul C. Quinn ◽  
Lynn S. Liben
Keyword(s):  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Familiar Stimulus ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Novelty Preference ◽  
Human Infants ◽  
Young Infants

Three- to 4-month-old female and male human infants were administered a two-dimensional mental-rotation task similar to those given to older children and adults. Infants were familiarized with the number 1 (or its mirror image) in seven different rotations between 0° and 360°, and then preference-tested with a novel rotation of the familiar stimulus paired with its mirror image. Male infants displayed a novelty preference for the mirror-image stimulus over the novel rotation of the familiar stimulus, whereas females divided attention between the two test stimuli. The results point toward an early emergence of a sex difference in mental rotation.

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