Amelia and Scott are assembling a bunk bed set together. Amelia is reading the plans and tells Scott that the next part they need is an L shaped piece. Scott holds up a piece upside down and asks if it is the correct one. Amelia says he is holding it wrong so he turns it sideways. Assuming it is the correct piece, based on the research by Shepard and Metzler on mental rotation, for which orientation will Amelia find it easiest to recognize that the piece matches the picture in the instructions?
A)upside down and therefore oriented at 180 degrees
B)sideways and therefore oriented at 90 degrees
C)both orientations will be of the same difficulty
D)it depends on whether Amelia is right handed or left handed

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Shepard and Metzler's research on mental rotation, objects are most easily recognized when they are oriented closer to their original position. A 90-degree rotation (sideways) is easier to mentally rotate back to the original position than a 180-degree rotation (upside down).

Amelia and Scott Are Assembling a Bunk Bed Set Together