Spatial Complexity of Brain Waves during Mental Rotation

Abstract

Mental rotation is an important psychological process for identifying rotated or misoriented objects. In this study, ERPs were recorded while 18 participants responded to two types of two-dimensional (2D) pictures. The participants matched the pictures of a blank Task without using mental rotation, but used mental rotation to match the pictures of Task A. The ERPs data were analyzed using spatial complexity analysis. The results showed: a) the rotation-related negativity of the ERPs data was shown when mental rotation was performed; b) the EEG data showed a significantly greater synchronization in the fast frequency bands (> 20 Hz) when the participants used their mental rotation ability.