Norman D. Cook
Visual Field Effects in Mental Rotations
Abstract:Thirty seven subjects were tested on a mental rotation task which has previously shown visual half-field effects. The test employed two-dimensional figures and required keyboard responses after presentation of objects to both visual fields. Subjects were classified either as "right-rotators” or "left-rotators” on the basis of responses in a pencil-and-paper visual mental rotation test. All subjects showed a reliable mental rotation effect, i.e., the amount of time required to give correct responses correlated with the number of degrees of rotation. Statistically insignificant effects were found in the expected direction for hemisphere effects. The trends were opposite in the left- and right-rotator groups. There was no indication of better performance for clockwise or counterclockwise rotations in separate visual fields.
Key words: mental rotation, laterality, cerebral hemispheres, tachistoscope, reaction times