Effects of Mild to Moderate Stress on Mental Rotation

Effects of Mild to Moderate Stress on Mental Rotation by James Frederick Bell MA, University of North Florida, 2002 BA, University of North Florida, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University November 2015 Abstract Mental rotation (MR) is the ability to mentally shift one's visual perspective of any object by changing the orientation of a mental image of that object. Research into the effects of stress on MR could be used to help improve understanding of a variety of visual-spatial tasks performed in hyper-vigilance situations. However, until the present study, there has been no research on the effects of stress on MR. The Yerkes-Dodson Law predicts performance will be improved when an individual is exposed to mild to moderate stress. The purpose of this study was to answer three research questions. The questions examined whether stress affects MR performance; if MR performance is improved by stress, impaired, or unchanged; and, if the effect of stress is related to the degree of MR task difficulty. Twenty healthy adult participants, aged 18 to 65, were recruited from the Savannah, Georgia area. The participants were divided into 2 groups of 10: stress and nostress groups. The stress group was exposed to a math task under time pressure. The nostress group was given a simple counting task to do at their own pace. Heart rate during testing was measured for both groups. “L-shaped” objects of varying angular orientation were presented on a computer screen immediately following the counting tasks. Participants choose whether the pair of objects were different mirror images of the other, or the same object, only rotated differently. A 2 x2 mixed repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant differences in heart rate between groups following exposure to the counting tasks. A 2-sample t test showed no significant differences between groups for MR performance. Social change implications include more efficient use of employee training in mildto moderatelystressful jobs that require MR skills.Mental rotation (MR) is the ability to mentally shift one's visual perspective of any object by changing the orientation of a mental image of that object. Research into the effects of stress on MR could be used to help improve understanding of a variety of visual-spatial tasks performed in hyper-vigilance situations. However, until the present study, there has been no research on the effects of stress on MR. The Yerkes-Dodson Law predicts performance will be improved when an individual is exposed to mild to moderate stress. The purpose of this study was to answer three research questions. The questions examined whether stress affects MR performance; if MR performance is improved by stress, impaired, or unchanged; and, if the effect of stress is related to the degree of MR task difficulty. Twenty healthy adult participants, aged 18 to 65, were recruited from the Savannah, Georgia area. The participants were divided into 2 groups of 10: stress and nostress groups. The stress group was exposed to a math task under time pressure. The nostress group was given a simple counting task to do at their own pace. Heart rate during testing was measured for both groups. “L-shaped” objects of varying angular orientation were presented on a computer screen immediately following the counting tasks. Participants choose whether the pair of objects were different mirror images of the other, or the same object, only rotated differently. A 2 x2 mixed repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant differences in heart rate between groups following exposure to the counting tasks. A 2-sample t test showed no significant differences between groups for MR performance. Social change implications include more efficient use of employee training in mildto moderatelystressful jobs that require MR skills. Effects of Mild to Moderate Stress on Mental Rotation by James Frederick Bell MA, University of North Florida, 2002 BA, University of North Florida, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University November 2015 Dedication I dedicate my dissertation to my mother, Suzanne C. Cook, and my sister, Maryanne McKnight, both of whom passed away before they could see me complete my doctoral studies. I also dedicate this work to my fellow air crewmen of the United States Navy, and all other armed service members, who lost their lives in the line of duty. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my committee members for their support. I would especially like to thank Dr. Thomas Edman, my committee chair and class professor, for his guidance and encouragement during some of the most difficult times. I would also like to thank Walden University for encouraging doctoral students to find effective ways to conduct controlled experiments when a traditional laboratory may not be available.