title: Understanding spatial transformations: similarities and differences between mental rotation and mental folding.
abstract: Mental rotation and mental folding, two widely used measures of spatial ability, both require the dynamic spatial transformation of objects with respect to their internal spatial structure. Traditionally, however, these two skills have been considered quite distinct, based primarily on factor analyses of psychometric data. This paper reviews the similarities and differences between mental rotation and mental folding from a variety of perspectives, including their definitions, component cognitive processes, neurological bases, developmental trajectories, malleability, predictive validity, and psychometric properties. We conclude that mental rotation and mental folding are similar in many respects. However, the tasks differ in whether they require rigid or non-rigid transformations of objects. In addition, mental rotation shows robust sex-related differences whereas mental folding does not. We also identify specific questions for which research is lacking.
authors: Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. jharris@mos.org
authors: Justin
authors: J
authors: Harris
authors: Kathy
authors: K
authors: Hirsh-Pasek
authors: Nora S
authors: NS
authors: Newcombe
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D032882:Comprehension; D006801:Humans; D012399:Rotation; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology*
references: Cognition. 1997 Aug;64(2):153-88
references: 9385869
references: Psychol Bull. 2013 Mar;139(2):352-402
references: 22663761
references: Neuroimage. 2001 Feb;13(2):381-91
references: 11162278
references: Percept Mot Skills. 2005 Jun;100(3 Pt 1):615-27
references: 16060420
references: Dev Psychol. 1999 Jul;35(4):940-9
references: 10442863
references: Psychol Bull. 1995 Mar;117(2):250-70
references: 7724690
references: Psychophysiology. 2002 Sep;39(5):535-45
references: 12236320
references: Neuropsychologia. 2003;41(10):1345-56
references: 12757907
references: Psychon Bull Rev. 2008 Aug;15(4):763-71
references: 18792502
references: J Appl Psychol. 1993 Apr;78(2):250-61
references: 8482696
references: Cogn Process. 2013 May;14(2):153-62
references: 23423638
references: Neuropsychologia. 1997 Feb;35(2):111-8
references: 9025115
references: Cogn Sci. 2007 Jul 8;31(4):549-79
references: 21635308
references: Psychol Sci. 2008 Nov;19(11):1063-6
references: 19076473
references: J Learn Disabil. 2006 Nov-Dec;39(6):496-506
references: 17165617
references: Mem Cognit. 2010 Mar;38(2):206-20
references: 20173193
references: Multivariate Behav Res. 2006 Sep 1;41(3):261-93
references: 26750337
references: J Cogn Neurosci. 1997 Jul;9(4):419-32
references: 23968208
references: J Exp Child Psychol. 1980 Feb;29(1):102-16
references: 7354259
references: Psychophysiology. 1998 Mar;35(2):151-61
references: 9529941
references: J Exp Child Psychol. 1979 Apr;27(2):339-51
references: 438726
references: Child Dev. 1985 Dec;56(6):1479-98
references: 4075870
references: Mem Cognit. 2012 May;40(4):594-613
references: 22215437
references: Cogn Psychol. 1979 Jul;11(3):375-94
references: 519969
references: Cogn Process. 2013 May;14(2):143-52
references: 23440527
references: J Cogn Neurosci. 2008 Jan;20(1):1-19
references: 17919082
references: Science. 1971 Feb 19;171(3972):701-3
references: 5540314
references: Behav Genet. 1991 Jul;21(4):383-96
references: 1953600
references: J Cogn Neurosci. 2000 Mar;12(2):310-20
references: 10771414
references: Semin Speech Lang. 2008 Aug;29(3):226-38; quiz C6
references: 18720319
references: Neuropsychobiology. 2000 Jan;41(2):95-101
references: 10644930
references: J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1988 Feb;14(1):3-11
references: 2964504
references: Brain. 1996 Feb;119 ( Pt 1):89-100
references: 8624697
references: J Appl Psychol. 1996 Jun;81(3):249-60
references: 8690687
references: Neuroreport. 2001 Aug 8;12(11):2519-25
references: 11496141
references: J Exp Child Psychol. 1983 Oct;36(2):284-304
references: 6631331
references: Psychol Sci. 2008 Nov;19(11):1067-70
references: 19076474
references: Brain. 2000 Jan;123 ( Pt 1):65-73
references: 10611121
references: Cogn Process. 2013 May;14(2):163-73
references: 23423639
references: Neuroimage. 2001 Jan;13(1):143-52
references: 11133317
references: Cogn Process. 2013 May;14(2):117-27
references: 23306783