The HED Task Catalog is under development. IDs are not stable until formal release. Comments are welcome at github.com/hed-standard/hed-task/issues.

Mental Rotation Task

HED task ID: hedtsk_mental_rotation

Family: Spatial cognition and navigation tasks (also Perceptual judgment and psychophysics tasks)

Also known as: MRT, Shepard-Metzler Task, Mental Rotation

Judgment of whether two rotated objects are identical or mirror images; RT scales linearly with angular disparity, indexing mental rotation.

Description

Participants view pairs of 3D objects (block figures, letters, or geometric forms) and determine whether they are identical (one is a rotated version of the other) or mirror images. Objects are rotated at angles ranging from 0 to 180 degrees relative to each other. The well-established finding is that RT increases linearly with angular disparity, suggesting an analog mental rotation process. The task measures spatial visualization ability, mental imagery, and visuospatial working memory. Sex differences in mental rotation are among the most reliable cognitive sex differences.

Inclusion test

An experiment is an instance of this task when its procedure matches, it manipulates at least one of the listed variables, and it records at least one of the listed measures.

Procedure

Two figures (3-D block shapes, letters, or hands) are presented at different orientations; participants judge whether they are the same or mirror-reversed.

Manipulation

Angular disparity between the two figures (0°–180°); stimulus complexity; dimensionality (2D vs. 3D).

Measurement

RT as a function of angular disparity (linear slope = rotation rate); accuracy; the RT-angle linear function.

Variations

Named versions that change what the participant experiences or does. The identifier of a variation is hedvar_<task>__<variation>.

Variation

Description

Justification

Shepard-Metzler 3D Block Figures

hedvar_mental_rotation__shepard_metzler_3d_block_figures

Classic 3D object pairs; same vs. mirror-image judgments.

Canonical 3D block figure rotation; depth and perspective rotation

2D Shape Rotation

hedvar_mental_rotation__2d_shape_rotation

Letters, polygons, or abstract 2D shapes.

Flat 2D figures; different stimulus complexity and dimensionality

Body Part Rotation (Hand Laterality)

hedvar_mental_rotation__body_part_rotation_hand_laterality

Judge left/right hand in rotated orientations.

Hands judged as left/right; embodied rotation via motor imagery

Mirror vs. Identical Discrimination

hedvar_mental_rotation__mirror_vs_identical_discrimination

Discriminating rotated identical from mirror-reflected objects.

Distinguish mirrored from same-orientation figure; different judgment type

Embodied/Motor-Assisted Rotation

hedvar_mental_rotation__embodied_motor_assisted_rotation

Physical rotation gestures during mental rotation.

Physical hand rotation accompanies mental rotation; different embodiment condition

Virtual Reality Mental Rotation

hedvar_mental_rotation__virtual_reality_mental_rotation

Immersive 3D rotation with stereoscopic displays.

Immersive VR environment; full-body spatial context changes processing

Egocentric vs. Allocentric Rotation

hedvar_mental_rotation__egocentric_vs_allocentric_rotation

Rotating self-perspective vs. rotating objects.

Participant perspective vs. object-centered rotation; different reference frame

Cognitive processes

This task is designed to engage the following processes:

Key references

  • Shepard, R. N., & Metzler, J. (1971). Mental rotation of three-dimensional objects. Science, 171(3972), 701-703. (DOI, PubMed)

  • Zacks, J. M. (2008). Neuroimaging studies of mental rotation: A meta-analysis and review. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(1), 1-19. (DOI, PubMed)

Further references

  • Milivojevic, B., et al. (2023). Imaging the spin: Disentangling the core processes underlying mental rotation by meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 147, 105131. (DOI)