Paper Info
Title
The role of motor processes in mental rotation: selective shaping of cognitive processing via specific sensorimotor experience
Abstract
The involvement of motor processes in mental rotation is experience-dependent: different levels of expertise in sensorimotor interactions lead to different strategies in mental rotation. In the present study, wrestlers, gymnasts, and nonathletes physically rotated objects that were either light (wooden) or heavy (lead) but otherwise having the same sizes and shapes. They then performed a mental rotation task using photographs of these objects in which the material and therefore the weight was visible. I hypothesized that wrestlers would rely more heavily on experience-based sensorimotor strategies in performing mental rotation because during their athletic practice they not only manipulate external "objects" (i.e., their opponent) but also have to plan future actions taking into account past experience of these "objects" (for example their weight). All participants reported that lead objects were harder to physically rotate than wooden ones. However, only wrestlers mentally rotated lead objects more slowly than wooden ones-as they would if they were physically rotating them-suggesting the involvement of motor processes. These findings show that the involvement of motor processes in mental rotation depends on specific rather than mere sensorimotor experience.
Year
DOI
Venue
2019
10.1080/13875868.2018.1541457
SPATIAL COGNITION AND COMPUTATION
Keywords
Field
DocType
Mental rotation,motor processes,sensorimotor experience
Computer vision,Rotation,Motor processes,Computer science,Cognitive psychology,Artificial intelligence,Cognition,Mental rotation
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
19.0
2
1387-5868
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
2
Authors
1
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Hamdi Habacha100.34