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How do we test spatial reasoning?

Spatial cognitive skills are essential in fields like engineering, science, mathematics, medicine, and design. They are assessed through tests focused on spatial visualization: the ability to mentally rotate, transform, reorient, and manipulate objects.

Spatial visualization forms the basis of these tests, requiring actions like rotation, reflection, transformation, and imagining folding or unfolding objects. Beyond mathematics, these skills are used daily in tasks such as parking, folding laundry, packing, or using a mirror.

Research has shown that spatial reasoning is not innate and can be improved through practice. Since video games enhance cognitive control⁴, our goal is to promote these skills through our games.

Our test models:

• 3D Perceptual Ability Tests
• Paper Folding Tests
• Cube Comparison Tests

3D PAT - Q3D Game:

Players are given two views of an object and must identify the third. These tasks require imagining a 2D drawing as a 3D object and mentally rotating it.

 

Figure 1. (a) Intructions of the test translated to English; (b) Plausible example of a question regarding 3D projections in the German Academic Foundation test. (c) Example of a 3D object in a technological drawing which shows the corresponding relationships among perspectives.

Paper Folding - Paper Folding Game:

This game replicates paper folding tests with animated folds. Players must determine hole placement and understand how the paper was folded and unfolded after being punched (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Example of paper folding question and its instructions. Image source – Ekstrom et al. page 286.

Figure 2 shows an example of a question given to participants with the possible answers. The bottom drawings demonstrate the thought process that participants follow to answer the question, beginning with figuring out which direction the paper was folded in order to attain the location where is was punched, and then unfolding the paper along those same folds to imagine the number and location of the holes.

Cube Rotation and Comparison - Hunting Treasures Game:

Players decide if two cubes are identical or different, based on the Cube Comparison Test. Each cube face has different symbols.

Figure 3. Examples of two questions given to participants. Image source – Ekstrom et al. page. 248

In Figure 3, the first set of cubes should be marked as “different” because the orientation of the letter “P” doesn’t correspond with the rotation that the cube underwent. The letter “G” moved from the front side to the top side, and so the letter “P” should have been rotated 90 degrees. The second set of cubes should be marked “same” because the orientation and location of each letter correctly corresponds to the rotation that the cube underwent.