Selective effects of motor expertise in mental body rotation tasks: Comparing object-based and perspective transformations

Brain imaging studies provide strong evidence for the involvement of the human mirror system during the observation of complex movements, depending on the individual’s motor expertise. Here, we ask the question whether motor expertise not only affects perception while observing movements, but also benefits perception while solving mental rotation tasks. Specifically, motor expertise should only influence the performance in mental body rotation tasks (MBRT) with left–right judgment, evoking a perspective transformation, whereas motor expertise should not affect the MBRT with same-different judgment, evoking an object-related transformation. Participants with and without motor expertise for rotational movements were tested in these two conditions in the MBRT. Results showed that motor experience selectively affected performance in the MBRT with the left–right judgment, but not with same-different judgment. More precisely, motor expertise only benefited performance when human figures were presented in (for non-experts) unfamiliar, upside-down body orientations.

► Mental body rotation tasks (MBRT) can be object-based or perspective transformations.
► Mentally rotating objects and human bodies is similar under same-different judgment.
► No effects of motor expertise on MBRT under same-different judgment.
► Motor expertise selectively benefits the MBRT with left-right judgment.
► Higher cognitive functions are influenced by sensory-motor representations.