Spatial orientation skills can be measured reliably with a gamified virtual-environment battery, with average test–retest reliability r = 0.74¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2020 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? A novel gamified VR battery of six spatial orientation tests showed good test–retest reliability and captured individual differences in a large twin sample. → Malanchini 2020

Evidence¶

Malanchini 2020¶

Malanchini, M., Rimfeld, K., Shakeshaft, N. G., McMillan, A., Schofield, K. L., Rodic, M., Rossi, V., Kovas, Y., Dale, P. S., Tucker-Drob, E. M. & Plomin, R. (2020). Evidence for a unitary structure of spatial cognition beyond general intelligence. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-020-0067-8

q3 · i? · associational · r3

Psychometric validation of the six-test VR spatial orientation battery in the TEDS twin sample (N = 2660, aged 19–22); tests showed normal distributions with skewness and kurtosis within ±2. Reliability was "average r = 0.74, ranging from 0.60 to 0.89", supporting the battery's ability to capture individual differences.

"Beyond showing good test –retest reliability (average r = 0.74, ranging from 0.60 to 0.89; see Method for information on the reliability of each tests), the six tests — scanning, perspective taking, navigation based on landmarks, navigation following directions, route memorizing and map reading — showed normal distributions"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Males outperformed females on all six spatial orientation tests, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate (R2 = 0.03 to 0.17) — related
• Test-retest correlations of memory span are low, questioning the validity of a single memory span test — related
• The tendency to follow advice shows good test-retest reliability across two sessions (~0.73), behaving as a stable trait-like bias — related
• The six spatial orientation tests cluster into a single Navigation factor that is 64% heritable and captures 66–100% of each test's heritability — related
• The Who Has More task showed moderate test-retest reliability (r = .46) in preschoolers, and the authors call for more stable ANS measures for this age — related