title: Training generalized spatial skills.
abstract: Spatial transformation skills are an essential aspect of cognitive ability. These skills can be improved by practice, but such improvement has usually been specific to tasks and stimuli. The present study investigated whether intensive long-term practice leads to change that transcends stimulus and task parameters. Thirty-one participants (14 male, 17 female) were tested on three cognitive tasks: a computerized version of the Shepard-Metzler (1971) mental rotation task (MRT), a mental paper-folding task (MPFT), and a verbal analogies task (VAT). Each individual then participated in daily practice sessions with the MRT or the MPFT over 21 days. Postpractice comparisons revealed transfer of practice gains to novel stimuli for the practiced task, as well as transfer to the other, nonpracticed spatial task. Thus, practice effects were process based, not instance based. Improvement in the nonpracticed spatial task was greater than that in the VAT; thus, improvement was not merely due to greater ease with computerized testing.
authors.affiliation: Oxford University Oxford, England.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ganis
authors.forename: Nora S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Newcombe
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kosslyn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D032882:Comprehension; D003867:Depth Perception; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D009949:Orientation; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011340:Problem Solving; D012660:Semantics; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Psychol Res. 1998;61(2):99-106
references.pmid: 9689906
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 2002 Jul;128(4):612-37
references.pmid: 12081085
references.citation: Science. 1971 Feb 19;171(3972):701-3
references.pmid: 5540314
references.citation: Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 1993 Dec;1(4):241-55
references.pmid: 8003923
references.citation: J Exp Psychol Gen. 2006 Aug;135(3):327-47
references.pmid: 16846268
references.citation: Mem Cognit. 1992 Nov;20(6):695-704
references.pmid: 1435272
references.citation: Psychon Bull Rev. 2007 Feb;14(1):154-8
references.pmid: 17546746
references.citation: J Cogn Neurosci. 2004 Mar;16(2):260-71
references.pmid: 15068596
references.citation: J Exp Child Psychol. 1986 Dec;42(3):378-91
references.pmid: 3806009
references.citation: Brain Cogn. 2008 Apr;66(3):260-4
references.pmid: 17967499