3D MENTAL ROTATION: LINKS BETWEEN TASK PERFORMANCE, EYE MOVEMENTS AND SEX HORMONES

It is observed that mental rotation tasks are performed better by men than women and that the performance of such tasks is related to sex hormones. Additional information regarding cognitive processes during mental rotation and their relationship with sex and/or the status of sex hormones could be gathered using eye-tracking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the parameters of eye movements during mental rotation task and their links with task performance, sex, and sex hormones. The performance of 89 participants (33 men, 33 naturally cycling women, and 23 hormonal contraceptives users) was evaluated while their eye movements were tracked using EyeLink 1000. Saliva testosterone and progesterone concentrations were measured to estimate links between sex hormones and task performance or parameters of eye movements. The mental rotation task was performed better by men than naturally cycling women. To decide if two simultaneously visible objects are identical, all participants, regardless the group, made mental manipulations while looking at the rotated object. For men, testosterone positively correlated to the total duration of fixations at the first observed figure before looking to another one. Progesterone was related to faster responses in naturally cycling women and to higher accuracy in oral contraceptives users.