Title :

Academic program and mental rotation performance: Evidence for a developmental effect on individual differences in early adulthood.

Author(s) :

Moreau, David [Auteur]
Mansy-Dannay, Annie [Auteur]
Clerc, Jérôme [Auteur]
Guerrien, Alain [Auteur]
Psychologie : Interactions, Temps, Émotions, Cognition (PSITEC) - ULR 4072

Journal title :

Education Sciences and Psychology

Volume number :

17

Pages :

p.21-28

Publication date :

2010

HAL domain(s) :

Sciences cognitives/Psychologie

English abstract : [en]

Individual differences in mental rotation are well-documented but poorly understood. In fact, how they evolve across lifespan still remains to be specified. To that purpose, we assessed mental rotation ability in Bachelor ...
Show more >Individual differences in mental rotation are well-documented but poorly understood. In fact, how they evolve across lifespan still remains to be specified. To that purpose, we assessed mental rotation ability in Bachelor of Sciences and Bachelor of Arts American students, during their freshman year. They took the Mental Rotation Test twice, at the beginning and the end of the academic year. Results show significant effects of Academic Program (BS>BA) and gender (males>females) in both sessions, as expected from previous research. However, the Academic Program effect increased significantly from one session to another, with exposure to program-specific learning contents, whereas gender differences remained stable. These findings highlight the developmental effect on mental rotation in a single study, providing further evidence for the plasticity of spatial abilities in early adulthood and the need to reflect on the learning materials used in higher education institutions.Show less >

Language :

Anglais

Peer reviewed article :

Oui

Audience :

Internationale

Administrative institution(s) :

Université de Lille

Collections :

• Psychologie : Interactions, Temps, Émotions, Cognition (PSITEC) - ULR 4072

Research team(s) :

Education & Société

Submission date :

2022-05-24T15:59:39Z
2022-05-25T15:42:23Z