心像旋轉中之心智表徵特性─ 探討圖形複雜度與整合性的影響

Themental representation during themental rotation task- explore the complexity and integrity effects

心像旋轉歷程中的心智表徵的本質始終存在著爭議。本研究藉由改變刺激材料的的整合性（參考軸數目）及複雜度（方塊數目）重新探究這爭議。發現圖形整合性會影響心像旋轉中反應時間與角度差異的線性關係；圖形整合性高時圖形中部件相對空間位置明確，受試者可不依賴心像旋轉能力來完成心像旋轉作業。然而圖形複雜度只提高總反應時間，但不會改變反應時間與角度差異的斜率。最後，本實驗推論心像旋轉歷程可分為更細微的兩個歷程─ 參考軸的旋轉與部件結構的重建，這兩個歷程將隨著圖形刺激不同而調整。

The nature of the mental representation during the mental rotation process is controversial. In the present experiment， this issue was investigated by manipulating the integrity （reference lines） and complexity （square numbers） of the stimuli. The monotonic relation between transformation time and angular difference was found and interacted with the integrity of the stimuli. As reference lines in a picture specified relative spatial relation among the picture’s components which have clear space relation， participants did not rely on the ability of mental rotation to achieve this task. However， there were individual differences in the perception of spatial relations in the pictures. Nevertheless， stimulus complexity increased the overall reaction time but did not affect the linear relationship. We inferred there are two subtle processes in the mental process of mental rotation – rotation of a reference line and reconstruction of the image. The degree to which participants relied on each process was modulated by the characteristics of the stimuli.