Kuse Mental Rotation Test Research Articles

Analyzing the Influence of Video Game and Music Engagement on Technical Skills Acquisition in Dental Students in Preclinical Phase: Protocol for a Prospective, Controlled, Longitudinal Study.

The practice of dental surgery requires a few different skills, including mental rotation of an object, precision of movement with good hand-eye coordination, and speed of technical movement. Learning these different skills begins during the preclinical phase of dental student training. Moreover, playing a musical instrument or video game seems to promote the early development of these skills. However, we found that studies specifically addressing this issue in the field of dental education are lacking. The main aims of this study are to evaluate whether the ability to mentally represent a volume in 3D, the precision of gestures with their right and left hand, or the speed of gesture execution is better at baseline or progresses faster for players (video games or music or both). A prospective monocentric controlled and longitudinal study will be conducted from September 2023 and will last until April 2025 in the Faculty of Dental Surgery of Nantes. Participants were students before starting their preclinical training. Different tests will be used such as Vandenberg and Kuse's mental rotation test, the modified Precision Manual Dexterity (PMD), and performing a pulpotomy on a permanent tooth. This protocol was approved by the Ethics, Deontology, and Scientific Integrity Committee of Nantes University (institutional review board approval number IORG0011023). A total of 86 second-year dental surgery students were enrolled to participate in the study in September 2023. They will take part in 4 iterations of the study, the last of which will take place in April 2025. Playing video games or a musical instrument or both could be a potential tool for initiating or facilitating the learning of certain technical skills in dental surgery. DERR1-10.2196/55738.

Spatial ability and anatomy learning performance among dental students.

Spatial perception is an essential skill for professional dentists. The objective of this study was to observe the spatial ability, as well as anatomy module grades, of dental students at a dental education center in Indonesia and relate these to gender and cohort. A cross-sectional study was carried out where dental students in years (cohorts) 1, 2, 4-6 were invited to take the Revised Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT-R) and the redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (MRT) in order to assess spatial ability. In addition, the 1st- and 2nd-year dental students carried out gross anatomy assessments. Spatial ability test results were compared using an independent t-test to detect gender differences, one-way analysis of variance to inspect cohort differences, and correlation relative to anatomy module scores. A total of 326 dental students voluntarily participated. Statistically significant gender differences were found in both spatial ability tests in the overall sample (PSVT-R: p<0.001; MRT: p=0.001). When the 1st- and 2nd-year dental students were pooled, significant gender differences were detected, in which males scored higher than females in both spatial ability tests (PSVT-R: p<0.001; MRT: p=0.003). In anatomy, however, females scored higher than the males (p=0.005). In addition, there were weak to moderate, but significant correlations between spatial ability tests and anatomy scores. This study indicated that spatial ability may not be the only factor predicting the academic performance of dental students. However, dental students with low spatial ability scores may need supplementary educational techniques when learning specific spatial tasks.

Does Online Anatomy Course Delivery Improve Visuospatial Ability in Novice Learners?

IntroductionThe study of anatomy can be challenging for students, as complex anatomical and spatial relationships can be difficult to master, particularly in virtual learning environments. Having good visuospatial ability (VSA) can be important for students to have in order to help them understand complex three‐dimensional relationships. There is evidence that learning anatomy in‐person can improve an individual's VSA and that those with higher VSA perform better in anatomy courses. However, no research has explored what effect learning anatomy in a completely virtual environment has on VSA. Thus, the first aim of this study is to determine if there are changes in VSA with online anatomy instruction in novice learners over one semester, and second, to examine if those with higher VSA interact differently with online resources. For our first aim, we hypothesize there will be an overall improvement in VSA over the course of the semester. Our second aim will be analyzed at a later date.MethodsFirst‐year undergraduate anatomy students at the University of Toronto were recruited for this study (n = 253). At the beginning of the semester in September 2021, before learning anatomical content, participants completed the redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Test (MRT‐A) which consisted of 24 questions. For the MRT‐A, participants were presented with a target figure and four stimulus figures, where two were a match to the target figure, but had been rotated. If both stimulus figures chosen were correct, one point was rewarded, for a total of 24 points and the full scores calculated out of 100 (24/24). In December 2021, another MRT‐A test will be administered, along with an online questionnaire that will ask students about what type of resources they used throughout the semester and how often they were used. In January 2022, focus groups will be conducted to gain a more in‐depth understanding into which learning tools students found most useful and why, along with how they were being used.ResultsPreliminary results indicate an initial mean score of 35.20 ± 17.54 with a median of 33.33. Students that scored below the median were categorized as low VSA (n = 112) and those who scored above were categorized as high VSA (n = 140). Additionally, the mean of students that identify as male had a mean of 40.55 ± 18.14 (high VSA = 83; low VSA = 39), those who identify as female had a mean of 30.03 ± 29.17 (high VSA = 55; low VSA = 70), and those who identify as non‐binary or chose “Prefer not to say” had a mean of 31.25 ± 17.14 (high VSA = 2; low VSA = 2). There was a significant difference between the mean score for males and females (p<0.001), but not for any other comparison.ConclusionsInitial results appear to be in line with previous research suggesting that males have higher VSA than females. Future analyses will provide a more in‐depth evaluation of overall changes in VSA, gender VSA changes, and the type of resources students engaged with during their online anatomy course. This research may be used as a baseline for further studies exploring course delivery in‐person, mixed, and remote to help instructors create equitable learning environments for students with differing VSA. Additionally, this research will help inform the development of an anatomy learning toolkit that will be used to help leaners develop better spatial reasoning skills.

Use of Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test to Predict Practical Performance of Sinus Endoscopy.

The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (MRT) on performance of novice medical students for manipulation of a nasal endoscope on a cadaveric model. We randomly selected 39 medical students who had never handled a nasal endoscope and subjected them to the MRT. General information including experience in manual, technical, or surgical activities and testing of anatomical knowledge were collected to exclude possible confounding factors. They were then asked to perform series of cadaveric model exercises using a nasal endoscope. Their cadaver performance was evaluated by 2 blinded observers, using a standardized scale. We found that medical students with higher mental rotation skills had significantly increased endoscopic sinus performance (P = .0002 using multivariate regression adjusted for specialty choice, previous surgical exposure, and anatomy knowledge). Higher anatomy knowledge was also associated with better endoscopic sinus performance (P = .0141). Other parameters had no impact on endoscopic sinus performance measured by the endoscopic scale (P > .05). The score obtained on the MRT was correlated with the practical performance of manipulating the nasal endoscope in cadaver. It could therefore be a useful spatial ability tool for directing targeted training in rhinology.

Sex Differences in Mental Rotation Ability Are a Consequence of Procedure and Artificiality of Stimuli

Mental rotation is a cognitive process that involves performing rotations on visual images or objects, which has played a significant role in humans’ evolutionary past. Sex differences in mental rotation ability have been extensively assessed using the Vandenberg and Kuse (1978) Mental Rotations Test. This test produces consistently higher scores for men than women, which has led numerous researchers to conclude that males have superior mental rotation ability. The causes of this sex difference have been widely debated, and research remains inconclusive. Various researchers have challenged the legitimacy of this male advantage by investigating moderating factors that are part of the assessment process. Here we show, through the use of photographs and three-dimensional models, that the form of the stimuli can eliminate the sex difference. Our results suggest that the sex difference found on this test is not due to a male advantage in spatial ability, but is an artifact of the stimuli.

Ability and sex differences in spatial thinking: What does the mental rotation test really measure?

Spatial ability tests are often interpreted as measuring facility with imagined spatial transformations of objects. But some spatial ability tests can be solved by analytic strategies as well as imagery transformation strategies. In the present study, participants gave verbal protocols while completing items on the Vandenberg and Kuse (Perceptual & Motor Skills, 4, 599-604, 1978) mental rotation test, and/or reported the strategies they had used on the test. Most participants used both imagery transformation and analytic strategies (i.e., feature-based, orientation-independent strategies) to solve the test items. Use of one analytic strategy, the global-shape strategy, was positively correlated with accuracy. Specifically, some of the most successful students used this strategy to eliminate answer choices, reducing the need for mental imagery. Men outperformed women, as is typical on this test, and were more likely than women to use the global-shape strategy, in particular, and more holistic strategies, in general. These results argue against the mental rotation test as a measure of spatial imagery alone and suggest that the ability to discover and use more efficient analytic strategies may be an important additional component of what this test measures.

Sex differences in mental rotation tasks: Not just in the mental rotation process!

The paper-and-pencil Mental Rotation Test (Vandenberg & Kuse, 1978) consistently produces large sex differences favoring men (Voyer, Voyer, & Bryden, 1995). In this task, participants select 2 of 4 answer choices that are rotations of a probe stimulus. Incorrect choices (i.e., foils) are either mirror reflections of the probe or structurally different. In contrast, in the mental rotation experimental task (Shepard & Metzler, 1971) participants judge whether 2 stimuli are the same but rotated or different by mirror reflection. The goal of the present research was to examine sources of sex differences in mental rotation, including the ability to capitalize on the availability of structure foils. In 2 experiments, both men and women had greater accuracy and faster reaction times (RTs) for structurally different compared with mirror foils in different versions of the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (Experiment 1) and the Shepard and Metzler experimental task (Experiment 2). A significant male advantage in accuracy but not response time was found for both trial types. The male advantage was evident when all foils were structure foils so that mental rotation was not necessary (Experiment 3); however, when all foils were structure foils and participants were instructed to look for structure foils a significant sex difference was no longer evident (Experiment 4). Results suggest that the mental rotation process is not the only source of the sex difference in mental rotation tasks. Alternative strategy use is another source of sex differences in these tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record

Construction of Test Measuring Mental Rotation Ability of Adolescent High School Students

One important aspect of Visuospatial Reasoning is the ability to rotate an object mentally. Presently, one of the most popular and widely used test of Mental Rotation is the Redrawn version of Vandenberg & Kuse Mental Rotation test (VMRT) However, this test has often been criticised to be more difficult because of its complicated scoring system. Present study compared this standard test of mental rotation ability with a newly constructed test with less number of items and less complicated scoring system. We collected data from 147 adolescent school students (Mean age=13.10 years; SD=1.84) by administering both the tests consecutively. Findings showed that VMRT has very high difficulty index as compared to the newly constructed test. The latter also proved to be a more reliable and valid measure of mental rotation ability as compared to VMRT. Discussion focused on the relative advantage of the newly constructed test for assessing mental rotation ability.

Spatial abilities of medical graduates and choice of residency programs.

Spatial abilities have been related in previous studies to three-dimensional (3D) anatomy knowledge and the performance in technical skills. The objective of this study was to relate spatial abilities to residency programs with different levels of content of 3D anatomy knowledge and technical skills. The hypothesis was that the choice of residency program is related to spatial abilities. A cohort of 210 medical graduates was enrolled in a prospective study in a 5-year experiment. Spatial abilities were measured with a redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Test (MRT) in two (MRTA) and three (MRTC) dimensions. Medical graduates were enrolled in Family Medicine (n = 76, 36.2%), Internal Medicine (64, 30.5%), Surgery (52, 24.8%), and Anesthesia (18, 8.6%). The assumption was that the level of 3D anatomy knowledge and technical skills content was higher in Surgery and Anesthesia compared to Family Medicine and Internal Medicine. Mean MRTA score of 12.4 (±SD 4.6), 12.0 (±4.3), 14.1 (±4.3), and 14.6 (±4.0) was obtained in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Anesthesia, respectively (P = 0.0176). Similarly, mean MRTC score of 8.0 (±4.4), 7.5 (±3.6), 8.5 (±3.9), and 7.9 (±4.1) was obtained (P = 0.5647). Although there was a tendency for lower MRTA score in Family Medicine and Internal Medicine compared to Surgery and Anesthesia, no statistically significant main effect of residency, year, sex, or the interactions were observed for the MRTA and MRTC. Studied sample of medical graduates was not found to choose their residency programs based on their innate spatial abilities.

The Influence of Native Acquisition of Chinese on Mental Rotation Strategy Preference: An EEG Investigation

Eighty-five native Chinese speakers performed the Vandenberg and Kuse (Perceptual and Motor Skills, 47, 599–604, 1978) Mental Rotation Test (MRT) while the electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to concurrently monitor corresponding patterns of brain activation. The results showed that irrespective of their sex or college major (i.e., physical or social science), native Chinese speakers exhibited bilateral beta activation over the frontal and temporal regions as well activation of the parietal lobes, particularly on the left-side, suggesting a preference for a combined verbal/analytic and spatial/holistic mental rotation (MR) strategy. This pattern stands in contrast to native English speakers, who in earlier studies have been shown to selectively activate one or the other hemisphere and to engage either a verbal/analytic (left hemisphere) or spatial/holistic (right hemisphere) MR strategy depending upon their sex and/or college major (see Li and O’Boyle, The Psychological Record, 58, 287–300, 2008, The Psychological Record, 61, 2-20, 2011, The Psychological Record, 63, 27–42, 2013). The potential positive impact of natively acquiring a highly logographic language like Chinese on spatial processing in general and mental rotation in particular is discussed.

Spatial abilities are not related to testosterone levels and variation in the androgen receptor in healthy young men

Androgens modulate brain functions such as cognition, emotions and ability. Several studies have shown a correlation between testosterone levels and mental rotation. The aim of the present study was to confirm the influence of salivary testosterone levels, 2D/4D ratio (such as a putative marker of prenatal testosterone), and sensitivity of androgen receptor on the mental rotation in healthy young men. Seventy-five healthy young men (age, 21.86 year) volunteered in this study. Mental rotation scores of our subjects were assessed using the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test. The 2D/4D finger length ratio as an indicator of prenatal testosterone was used as an average measurement of both hands. Correlation analysis revealed no correlation between salivary testosterone levels and mental rotation. However, we have observed a trend towards a negative correlation. There were no statistically significant results between 2D/4D ratio and mental rotation or between polymorphic three-nucleotide (CAG) repeats and mental rotation tests. Future studies should focus on other genetic determinants of spatial abilities, potentially genes involved in testosterone metabolism.

Relationship between spatial abilities and cross‐sectional drawings

ObjectiveSpatial abilities have been related to cross‐sections of anatomical structures. The objective was to assess the relationship of spatial abilities to positioning and assessing area of structures in cross‐sectional drawings.MethodsFourth‐year medical students (n = 49) were recruited in a prospective study. Spatial abilities were measured with a redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Test in two (MRTA) and three (MRTC) dimensions and the Surface Development Test (SDT). Participants had to draw by observation the four lateral sides of objects made of several structures. After the objects were removed from view, cross‐sections of the objects were drawn. Position and area of structures within drawn objects were compared to standard. Results were expressed as means ± standard deviation and Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship of positional and area errors of drawn structures to MRTA, MRTC and SDT scores.ResultsPositional error (9805 ± 6699 pixels) was inversely related to MRTA (13.5 ± 5.2), MRTC (9.7 ± 4.5) and SDT (43.4 ± 10.0) scores; with a correlation of − 0.3718 (p = 0.0085), − 0.4682 (p = 0.0007) and − 0.3461 (p = 0.0149), respectively. Similarly, area error (440416 ± 131870 pixels) was not related to MRTA, MRTC and SDT scores.ConclusionSpatial abilities were related to the position, but not to the area, of structures in cross‐sectional drawings of objects.This study was supported by an internal grant from the Department of Surgery, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.

Relationship between spatial abilities and three‐dimensional synthesis of structures

ObjectiveThe mental image of a three‐dimensional anatomical structure is a prerequisite to the performance in technical skills. The objective was to assess the relationship of spatial abilities to three‐dimensional synthesis of two‐dimensional views of structures using drawings.MethodsFourth‐year medical students (n = 49) were recruited in a prospective study. Spatial abilities were measured with a redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Test in two (MRTA) and three (MRTC) dimensions and the Surface Development Test (SDT). As part of a drawing course, participants had to build structures of increasing complexity from simple parts using two‐dimensional views of structures and then to draw isometric views of structures. The accuracy of the drawings was assessed as right or wrong. The maximum score was 24 for MRTA and MRTC, 60 for SDT and 25 for the drawings. The results were expressed as means ± standard deviation and the Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to compare the drawing score to MRTA, MRTC and SDT scores.ResultsThe drawing score (14.6 ± 3.7) was related to MRTA (13.5 ± 5.2), MRTC (9.7 ± 4.5) and SDT (43.4 ± 10.0) scores; with a correlation of 0.3728 (p = 0.0083), 0.4248 (p = 0.0023) and 0.5420 (p < 0.0001), respectively.ConclusionSpatial abilities were related to three‐dimensional synthesis of two‐dimensional views of structures using drawings.This study was supported by an internal grant from the Department of Surgery, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.

Twisting space: are rigid and non-rigid mental transformations separate spatial skills?

Cognitive science has primarily studied the mental simulation of spatial transformations with tests that focus on rigid transformations (e.g., mental rotation). However, the events of our world are not limited to rigid body movements. Objects can undergo complex non-rigid discontinuous and continuous changes, such as bending and breaking. We developed a new task to assess mental visualization of non-rigid transformations. The Non-rigid Bending test required participants to visualize a continuous non-rigid transformation applied to an array of objects by asking simple spatial questions about the position of two forms on a bent transparent sheet of plastic. Participants were to judge the relative position of the forms when the sheet was unbent. To study the cognitive skills needed to visualize rigid and non-rigid events, we employed four tests of mental transformations--the Non-rigid Bending test (a test of continuous non-rigid mental transformation), the Paper Folding test and the Mental Brittle Transformation test (two tests of non-rigid mental transformation with local rigid transformations), and the Vandenberg and Kuse (Percept Motor Skills 47:599-604, 1978) Mental Rotation test (a test of rigid mental transformation). Performance on the Mental Brittle Transformation test and the Paper Folding test independently predicted performance on the Non-rigid Bending test and performance on the Mental Rotation test; however, mental rotation performance was not a unique predictor of mental bending performance. Results are consistent with separable skills for rigid and non-rigid mental simulation and illustrate the value of an ecological approach to the analysis of the structure of spatial thinking.

How Sex and College Major Relate to Mental Rotation Accuracy and Preffered Strategy: An Electroencephalographic (EEG) Investigation.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to investigate variation in mental rotation (MR) strategies between males and females and different college majors. Beta activation was acquired from 40 participants (10 males and 10 females in physical science; 10 males and 10 females in social science) when performing the Vandenberg and Kuse (1978) mental rotation test (MRT). Males majoring in physical science showed increased activation over the right parietal area when performing the MRT, suggestive of a spatial/holistic strategy, while males majoring in social science showed increased activity over the left frontal region, indicative of a verbal/analytic strategy. Females, regardless of college major, showed bilateral activation, a pattern reflecting the use of a combined verbal/spatial MR strategy. These results provide evidence at the neural level that males and females, as well as physical and social science majors, are biased toward the use of different strategies when performing the MRT.

The Use of the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test in Children

Previous studies found that children are able to perform mental rotation (MR) tasks with a gender difference from the age of 4. More recently, gender differences in MR were also reported in infancy. However, different kinds of paradigms and stimuli were used. The present study investigates whether the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (VMRT; Vandenberg & Kuse, 1978 ) as well as another similar 2-dimensional stimuli test may be used with elementary and middle-school children, and whether gender differences are evidenced. Results show that boys outperform girls in the middle-school group only. Elementary school children encountered difficulties solving both the VMRT and 2D MR tests. The data confirmed recent results showing that gender differences in the VMRT performance were found at age 10. We further concluded that the VMRT and 2D MR tests may not be well-designed for elementary-school children. Further investigations should focus on gender differences in MR for children younger than 9 years old as well as on the underlying causes of such difference, using other experimental paradigms.

Role of a computer-generated three-dimensional laryngeal model in anatomy teaching for advanced learners

(1) To investigate the efficacy of a computer-generated three-dimensional laryngeal model for laryngeal anatomy teaching; (2) to explore the relationship between students' spatial ability and acquisition of anatomical knowledge; and (3) to assess participants' opinion of the computerised model. Forty junior doctors were randomised to undertake laryngeal anatomy study supplemented by either a three-dimensional computer model or two-dimensional images. Outcome measurements comprised a laryngeal anatomy test, the modified Vandenberg and Kuse mental rotation test, and an opinion survey. Mean scores ± standard deviations for the anatomy test were 15.7 ± 2.0 for the 'three dimensions' group and 15.5 ± 2.3 for the 'standard' group (p = 0.7222). Pearson's correlation between the rotation test scores and the scores for the spatial ability questions in the anatomy test was 0.4791 (p = 0.086, n = 29). Opinion survey answers revealed significant differences in respondents' perceptions of the clarity and 'user friendliness' of, and their preferences for, the three-dimensional model as regards anatomical study. The three-dimensional computer model was equivalent to standard two-dimensional images, for the purpose of laryngeal anatomy teaching. There was no association between students' spatial ability and functional anatomy learning. However, students preferred to use the three-dimensional model.

Enhancement of Mental Rotation Abilities and Its Effect on Anatomy Learning

Background: Mental rotation (MR) is improved through practice and high MR ability is correlated to success in anatomy learning. Purposes: We investigated the effects of improving the MR ability on the Vandenberg and Kuse MR test performance and the consequences on learning functional human anatomy. Methods: Forty-eight students were assigned into three groups: MR group (16 students attending functional anatomy course and MR training), anatomy group (16 students attending the same functional anatomy course), and the control group (n = 16). Instead of MR training, the latter 2 groups were engaged in physical activities for an equivalent time, and the control group did not attend anatomy course. Results: MR group performed better than the two others in the MR test and better than the anatomy group in the anatomy test. Conclusions: The MR training sessions were found to improve MR test performance and were further transferred to anatomy learning.

Spatial abilities in an elective course of applied anatomy after a problem‐based learning curriculum

A concern on the level of anatomy knowledge reached after a problem-based learning curriculum has been documented in the literature. Spatial anatomy, arguably the highest level in anatomy knowledge, has been related to spatial abilities. Our first objective was to test the hypothesis that residents are interested in a course of applied anatomy after a problem-based learning curriculum. Our second objective was to test the hypothesis that the interest of residents is driven by innate higher spatial abilities. Fifty-nine residents were invited to take an elective applied anatomy course in a prospective study. Spatial abilities were measured with a redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Test in two (MRT A) and three (MRT C) dimensions. A need for a greater knowledge in anatomy was expressed by 25 residents after a problem-based learning curriculum. MRT A and C scores obtained by those choosing (n = 25) and not choosing (n = 34) applied anatomy was not different (P = 0.46 and P = 0.38, respectively). Percentage of residents in each residency program choosing applied anatomy was different [23 vs. 31 vs. 100 vs. 100% in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Anesthesia, respectively; P < 0.0001]. The interest of residents in applied anatomy was not driven by innate higher spatial abilities. Our applied anatomy course was chosen by many residents because of training needs rather than innate spatial abilities. Future research will need to assess the relationship of individual differences in spatial abilities to learning spatial anatomy.

Sex-specific response strategies in mental rotation

The present study investigated whether the marked sex difference in the original mental rotation test (MRT) is simply a result of sex differences in response strategies. Thirty-four participants (17 males, 17 females) completed the revised Vandenberg and Kuse MRT [Peters, M., Laeng, B., Latham, K., Jackson, M., Zaiyouna, R., & Richardson, C. (1995). A redrawn Vandenberg & Kuse Mental Rotations Tests: Different versions and factors that affect performance. Brain and Cognition, 28, 39–58.] and a modified MRT. In the modified version, the number of matching figures varied from zero to four, so that participants had to match every single figure to the target, impeding leaps. Both men and women showed reduced performance in the modified version. However, men were clearly more affected than women. Although sex differences in the modified MRT were somewhat reduced, men still outperformed women (original MRT: d = .95, modified MRT: d = .76). The findings suggest that men rely more on a leaping response strategy than women, however, the robust sex differences in MRT was only marginally affected by sex differences in response strategies.