ABSTRACT
Spatial cognition is central to understanding medical images, including those produced by CT, MRI, X-Ray, and ultrasound. Zero-order correlations indicated that spatial ability measures were related to initial performance and persisted throughout the learning trials, despite the attenuation of individual differences in task performance. The admissions test used in dentistry schools in the United States includes a spatial abilities tests known as the Perceptual Aptitude Test, which includes items such as judging the relative sizes of angles, and imagining the folding and unfolding of pieces of paper. A follow-up study revealed that the effects of spatial ability can be moderated by the characteristics of the computer simulation. Spatial understanding was enhanced when learner-controlled rotation was permitted via a hand-held mouse. Research on learning anatomy also provides information about the nature of internal spatial representations of 3-D structures.
