Response time differences between men and women during hand mental rotation

Abstract

This study explored gender differences in correct response rates and response times on a task involving left or right arrow selection and another involving the transformation of mental rotation of the hand. We recruited 15 healthy, right-handed men (age 24.5 ± 6.4) and 15 healthy, right-handed women (age 21.3 ± 4.9). For the tasks, we used pictures of left and right arrows and 32 hand pictures (left and right, palm and back) placed in cons (each at 45° from 0° to 315°). Hand and arrow pictures alternated and were shown at random. Participants decided as quickly as possible whether each picture was left or right. To compare the time taken for the transformation of mental rotation of the hand, we subtracted the average arrow response time from that for the left and right hand pictures for each participant. Correct response rates did not differ significantly between men and women or left and right for either arrow or hand pictures. Regardless of gender, the response time was longer for the left arrow picture than right arrow picture. The response time for the hand picture was longest for both men and women for pictures at rotation angles that were most difficult to align with participants’ hands. While there was no difference between men’s responses for left and right hand pictures, the responses of women were longer for left than right hand pictures and also than those of men. These findings suggest that both men and women mainly perform the hand mental rotation task with implicit motor imagery. On the other hand, the gender difference in performance might be explained by the difference in balance with other strategies, such as visual imagery, and by cognitive, neurophysiological, and morphological differences.

Visual Hand Recognition in Hand Laterality and Self-Other Discrimination Tasks: Relationships to Autistic Traits and Positive Body Image

“…The present study explored whether and how the extent of participants’ autistic traits and body appreciation affect the performance of implicit and explicit hand recognition tasks in a TD population, divided by sex (cf. Mochizuki et al, 2019 ; Conson et al, 2020 ). In addition, we investigated whether the results of visual recognition tasks (i.e., laterality judgment and self-other discrimination tasks) in previous studies (e.g., Ferri et al, 2011 ; Conson et al, 2015 ) would be replicated, even if the number of orientation conditions of the hand image was limited to two (i.e., upright and upside-down).…”

“…With the above mind, we wondered whether and how sex difference affects the performance of implicit and explicit hand recognition tasks, even in those populations in which people have not been diagnosed. Indeed, Mochizuki et al (2019) and Conson et al (2020) recently investigated the effect of sex differences on the performance of a classical hand laterality judgment task, but the effect of sex differences on the performance of implicit and explicit hand recognition tasks (using self‐ and other-hand images) remains an open question. Answering this question will contribute to our further understanding of self-other discrimination and body part recognition.…”

Age-Related Differences in Strategy in the Hand Mental Rotation Task

“…The HMRT is also widely used to assess cognitive function, induce regional brain activity in neuroimaging studies, and more recently as a potential tool for rehabilitation ( Moseley, 2004 ; Harada et al, 2016 ; Shibui et al, 2016 ; Polli et al, 2017 ; Dilek et al, 2018 ). In most instances, baseline skill or acquired performance is measured by response time (RT) ( Sekiyama, 1982 ; Parsons, 1987 ; Saimpont et al, 2009 ; Takeda et al, 2010 ; Mochizuki et al, 2019 ). One plausible cognitive approach to task performance is the MI, in which the subject forms a moving mental image of their own hand and superimposes it onto the presented picture.…”

Modelling response time in a mental rotation task by gender, physical activity, and task features

“…Faster RTs were also found in males when compared to females 45 . Yet, when considering the error rates (ERs) gender differences may be more pronounced in some MRts 46 (the ERs can be found in the Supplementary Table S15 – S20 on line).…”