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Development of Computerized Tests for the Evaluation of Human Three-Dimensional Spatial Ability

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Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering (MMESE 2016)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering ((LNEE,volume 406))

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Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) spatial ability is a critical cognitive ability of humans. The existing tests for 3D spatial ability are mainly paper-and-pencil tests. In the present paper, we developed computerized tests to evaluate human spatial ability. We chose 3D mental rotation test and 3D perspective taking test as the typical types of 3D spatial ability. And the computerized tests for the spatial abilities were developed in two versions, the desktop-based spatial tests and the web-based spatial tests. 30 subjects took the desktop-based spatial tests (the 3D mental rotation test and 3D perspective taking test) twice, another subjects took the web-based spatial tests (the 3D mental rotation test and 3D perspective taking test) twice. Their spatial abilities were evaluated through the index of “mean reaction time/accuracy.” Correlation analysis shows that the test–retest reliability of the computerized tests are all quite high, while the web-based spatial tests demonstrated higher reliability than the desktop-based spatial tests. Those data indicate that the computerized 3D mental rotation test and 3D perspective taking test can be well applied to the evaluation of Human’s 3D spatial ability.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the basic research foundation of national defense (B1720132001), the Feitian Foundation of China Astronaut Research and Training Center (No. FTKY201505), the Foundation of Key Laboratory of Science and Technology for National Defense (No. 9140C770102140C77313), and the foundation of National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering (No. HF2013-Z-B-02).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China

    Xianliang Mu, Yu Tian, Chunhui Wang, Junpeng Guo & Shoupeng Huang

Authors
  1. Xianliang Mu
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  2. Yu Tian
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  3. Chunhui Wang
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  4. Junpeng Guo
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  5. Shoupeng Huang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu Tian .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Astronaut Research and Training Center of China, Beijing, China

    Shengzhao Long

  2. University of Ottawa , Ottawa, Canada

    Balbir S. Dhillon

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

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Mu, X., Tian, Y., Wang, C., Guo, J., Huang, S. (2016). Development of Computerized Tests for the Evaluation of Human Three-Dimensional Spatial Ability. In: Long, S., Dhillon, B. (eds) Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering. MMESE 2016. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 406. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2323-1_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2323-1_20

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-2322-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-2323-1

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