Mental Rotation Test
Two shapes appear. Is the right one the same shape turned round, or a mirror image? 60 seconds; the shapes get bigger and the turns trickier.
A classic of psychology
In 1971 Roger Shepard and Jacqueline Metzler showed people pairs of 3D shapes and asked whether they were the same object turned or mirror images. The time people took rose steadily with the angle between them, as if they were turning a picture in their head (Shepard & Metzler, 1971). Mental rotation is part of spatial reasoning.
How it gets harder
Pieces grow from five to nine squares, the turns move off the right angle, and later both pieces are turned. Every piece is checked so that its mirror image is never just a turn of it, so there's always exactly one right answer. The white dot on the first square helps you see which way round a piece is.
Tips
- Find the white dot and one distinctive end, then check where each has gone.
- Turn the smaller angle: 270° clockwise is 90° the other way.
- Use ← for Same and → for Mirror on a keyboard.
How to play
- Two shapes appear.
- Is the right one the same shape turned round, or a mirror image?
- The white dot helps you see which way round it is.
Scoring and levels
You have 60 seconds. Every right answer scores, and answers in a row score more. Two right in a row step you up a level; a wrong one steps you down, so it stays a stretch without getting stuck. Every game shows a short demo before you start, and your last ten scores are on the result screen.
In everyday life
Turning shapes in your head helps with reading maps the wrong way up, packing a car boot, assembling flat-pack furniture and parallel parking.
Questions
Why do bigger turns take longer?
People seem to rotate a mental image at a steady speed, so a bigger angle takes longer (Shepard & Metzler, 1971).
Is there always one answer?
Yes. Every piece is checked so its mirror image can't be reached by turning it.
Related
Brain tests
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Guides
Sources
- Shepard, R. N. & Metzler, J. (1971). Mental rotation of three-dimensional objects. Science, 171(3972). doi.org/10.1126/science.171.3972.701
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