The Effects of Long-Term Practice and Training on Mental Rotation

This longitudinal study addressed questions about improvement and gender differences in mental rotation; what is the shape of long-term growth in mental rotation ability, and does that differ for men and women; can videogame training enhance mental rotation ability above simple practice effects; are there gender differences in experience and effects of videogame training; are practice and training effects durable, and can they transfer to other mental rotation tasks? Undergraduates participated in longitudinal practice with the Mental Rotations Test (MRT) and played videogames. Results showed large improvements in mental rotation with both practice and training. Videogame training led to greater initial growth than practice alone, but final performance did not reliably differ. However, videogame training did transfer to two other spatial tasks. Mental rotation ability between men and women did not converge over time, but men and women showed different growth patterns. Though gender differences in mental rotation ability appear robust, the effects of spatial experience and videogame training cannot be ignored.