Embodied Cognition in Mental Rotation of Objects and Human Figures
Previous research demonstrated better mental rotation skills for human figures in athletes with expertise for rotational movements, like for example gymnasts or trampoline. According to the authors, these results are often explained with better mental rotation skills based on expert´s body representations in different orientations in space (acquired through extensive motor training). The overall goal of our research project is to investigate the influence of embodied processes on the mental rotation of human figures. We hypothesize that if mental rotation of human figures is based on embodied processes, this should be observable on body-related, behavioral parameters, such as body sway. Therefore, the participants stand on a force plate and are instructed to respond to a stimulus (e.g., a person rising a left or a right arm) by using a microphone.