Mental rotation abilities improved through training in Youth and Adolescents with Down Syndrome
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Advisor
Yingying (Jennifer) Yang
Access Type
Event
Start Date
26-4-2023 9:45 AM
End Date
26-4-2023 10:44 AM
Description
Mental rotation is the ability to mentally spin and manipulate the shape of an object (Shepard & Metzler, 1971). This skill is pertinent to everyday life in activities such as loading a dishwasher or packing a car. Mental rotation abilities have been found to be malleable as training provides long term benefits for children and adults (Uttal et al., 2013). Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS), however, typically demonstrate deficiencies in these abilities (Hobson, 1984). The current study examines mental rotation abilities in individuals with DS to determine whether such can be improved through training. Two assessments with stimuli rotated between 30 and 180 degrees were utilized. In one task, participants needed to match a rotated Ghost figure or its mirror image with an upright silhouette of the ghost shape (N=12). In the other task, they had to decide if a rotated puzzle or its mirror image fit the open space of a puzzle (N = 8). Participants aged 11 to 24 years old received an initial retest of the Ghost and Puzzle Assessments, followed by 30 minute mental rotation training games twice a week over the course of 8 weeks, and then a final retest of the same assessments. A paired sample t-test for the Ghost Task found a significance between the first (M = -1.50); t(11)=-2.76, p=.009, but not the Puzzle Assessment. The results partially suggest that mental rotation abilities in individuals with DS can be improved through training.
Mental rotation abilities improved through training in Youth and Adolescents with Down Syndrome
Mental rotation is the ability to mentally spin and manipulate the shape of an object (Shepard & Metzler, 1971). This skill is pertinent to everyday life in activities such as loading a dishwasher or packing a car. Mental rotation abilities have been found to be malleable as training provides long term benefits for children and adults (Uttal et al., 2013). Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS), however, typically demonstrate deficiencies in these abilities (Hobson, 1984). The current study examines mental rotation abilities in individuals with DS to determine whether such can be improved through training. Two assessments with stimuli rotated between 30 and 180 degrees were utilized. In one task, participants needed to match a rotated Ghost figure or its mirror image with an upright silhouette of the ghost shape (N=12). In the other task, they had to decide if a rotated puzzle or its mirror image fit the open space of a puzzle (N = 8). Participants aged 11 to 24 years old received an initial retest of the Ghost and Puzzle Assessments, followed by 30 minute mental rotation training games twice a week over the course of 8 weeks, and then a final retest of the same assessments. A paired sample t-test for the Ghost Task found a significance between the first (M = -1.50); t(11)=-2.76, p=.009, but not the Puzzle Assessment. The results partially suggest that mental rotation abilities in individuals with DS can be improved through training.