Ability of architecture students to rotate urban maps

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Published: Dec 1, 2017

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Diego Campos-Juanatey
Universidade da Coruña
Spain
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3889-1657
Biography
Santiago Tarrio
Universidade da Coruña
Biography
Jesús Ángel Dopico
Universidade da Coruña
Biography
Alfredo Campos
Universidad de Santiago de Compostela
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4191-4648
Biography
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2017), Articles, pages 106-111
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17979/reipe.2017.4.2.3110
Submitted: Oct 18, 2017 Accepted: Nov 6, 2017 Published: Dec 1, 2017
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Abstract

Training in mental imagery during education enhances the ability in forming images and increases the performance on tasks involving mental images. In this research we assessed whether the type of undergraduate studies (Architecture or Business Studies) and the ability in rotating mental images influenced the rotation of urban maps. We selected a group of 208 university students of Architecture and Business studies, who completed a task consisting on the evaluation of 90 pairs of urban maps, deciding if their position was equal or symmetrical. The number of correct choices, errors, and correct choices minus errors were measured. It was found that both the type of study and the skills in rotating images influenced the number of correct choices (without counting errors) and the correct rotation numbers (correct choices minus errors). The ability in rotating mental images also influenced the number of errors in the rotation of urban maps

Keywords:

architecture, mental imagery, mental rotation, imagery, business studies

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