News Psychology

Mental rotation gears up by age 5 for both boys and girls

Math-related visualization skill emerges rapidly in preschool years

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Cartoon ghosts have scared up evidence that the ability to visualize objects in one’s mind materializes between ages 3 and 5.

SPATIAL SPIRITS Preschoolers in a new study saw mirror-image ghost cartoons tilted at various angles (right) next to a ghost’s outline. By age 4, a substantial number of the children were able to turn the cartoons in their heads and identify which one fit in the outline.