Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This research studies mental rotation in different cultural groups. An experiment is described in which 72 pupils from Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and 79 from Matran (Switzerland) responded to a computerized mental rotation task. When compared to classical studies, results show, for both groups, similar patterns of reaction times (RTs) across degrees of rotation. RTs, however, are significantly longer in Ivorean children, and for the Swiss (only) they decrease with age. Results do not entirely match the postulated linearity of the relationship between reaction time and degree of rotation, in particular at 30 and 330 degrees, for which RTs are longer than expected. Data also show that incorrect answers do not occur randomly, suggesting that the widely used criterion of RT based on correct responses only should be reconsidered. No gender differences were found.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Banks, W. P. (1981). Assessing relations between imagery and perception. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 7, 844-847.

Bryden, M. P. , George, J. , & Inch, R. (1990). Sex differences and the role of figural complexity in determining the rate of mental rotation. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 70, 467-477.

Cooper, L. A. , & Shepard, R. N. (1973). Chronometric studies of the rotation of mental images. In W. G. Chase (Ed.), Visual information processing. (pp. 75-176). New York: Academic Press.

Jahoda, G. (1979). On the nature of difficulties in spatialperceptual tasks: Ethnic and sex differences. British Journal of Psychology, 70, 351-363.

Jahoda, G. (1980). Sex and ethnic differences on a spatialperceptual task: Some hypotheses tested. British Journal of Psychology, 71, 425-431.

Lejeune, M. (1994). Role of proximity and spatial position of stimulus characteristics during the development of mental rotation capacities. Cahiers de Psychologie Cognitive, 13, 469-492.

Lejeune, M. , & Decker, C. (1994). Capacités de rotation mentale dans un espace bi et tridimensionel chez les enfants de six á dix ans [Mental rotation capacities in two and threedimensional space in six to tenyearold children]. Année Psychologique, 94, 45-62.

Marmor, G. S. (1975). Development of kinetic images: When does the child first represent movement in mental images? Cognitive Psychology, 7, 548-559.

Rossi, J. S. , & Collyer, C. E. (1986). Is there a threshold for mental rotation? Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 24, 13.

10.

Shepard, R. N. , & Cooper, L. A. (1982). Mental images and their transformations. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

11.

Shepard, R. N. , & Metzler, J. (1971). Mental rotation of three-dimensional objects. Science, 171, 701-703.

12.

Shimojo, S. (1981). On mental rotation experiments: A methodological study on imagery researches. Japanese Psychological Review, 24, 16-42.

Mental Rotation in Children from Ivory Coast and Switzerland

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References