心智旋轉是一種在腦海中想像物體於空間中旋轉的能力，心智旋轉能力被公認為具有顯著性別差異的認知能力之一，男性在心智旋轉的表現普遍較女性為佳。造成心智旋轉能力的性別差異原因眾多且影響錯綜複雜。本研究透過3D立體影像以及磁力感測控制器等科技的協助，試圖探索心智旋轉任務中受試者的感知歷程與後續的認知處理歷程在心智旋轉的解題過程中扮演的腳色。本研究運用了3D立體影像技術以改變刺激物於視覺上的感知特性。並且運用磁力感測控制器以達成物體可操控，藉以降低工作記憶負荷。再藉由改變比較物體之間的旋轉差異角度，調整解決心智旋轉題目所需的工作記憶負荷。本研究共徵募164位大學生與研究生進行心智旋轉實驗，實驗過程中完整的量測的受試者進行心智旋轉任務的正確率與反應時間之資料。實驗結果由性別、實驗組別、差異角度等多方交叉分析，證實心智旋轉能力的性別差異確實存在，且物體可操控的特性對於增進心智旋轉表現與消除性別差異具有重大功效，然而3D立體影像卻沒有出現類似的正面效益。實驗結果也顯示感知歷程與後續的認知處理歷程之間也無任何交互作用。Mental rotation task is regarded as one of the most gender sensitive cognitive tasks that it is commonly found in favors of the males, and the cause for the marked gender differences is an intricate result of several factors that intertwine together. In this study, we try to distinguish the effects of the initial encoding process of visualizing and the later representation manipulation process in working memory in mental rotation task. By reducing the working memory load through the aid of magnetic controller, and the perceptual properties of object through 3D visualization, we expected the beneficial effect will reduce the gender gap. And by manipulate working memory load through the angular disparity between two objects, we expected to see the interaction of 2 processes mentioned above. Total of 164 university and graduate students were recruited in this study. All the performance and response time in mental rotation tasks were recorded. The result of the experiment illustrated that gender differences clearly existed, and object manipulation is helpful in reducing the gender difference. But 3D visualization did not improve the mental rotation performance. And statistical results actually suggested an disassociation between the these two process.
