Abstract
Rossi and Collyer (1986) reported data suggesting a threshold for mental rotation. The threshold-like nonlinearity may have been caused by the skewed distribution of angles used in their mental rotation experiment. In the present study, skewing the angle distribution toward small angles (skewed condition) increased the overall slope of the mental rotation response time function, relative to that of an even-distribution condition. Visual inspection of the data suggests that if there is a threshold-like nonlinearity, it is present in both the skewed and the even conditions. However, it is difficult to draw a strong conclusion for logical and statistical reasons.
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I thank Sara C. Hazard, who assisted in running the experiment, and Joseph S. Rossi, who contributed useful suggestions.
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Collyer, C.E. An angle-distribution effect in mental rotation. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 25, 189–190 (1987). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03330324
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03330324