PEBL Hub — IRB Fact Sheet — 2026-08-23
Matrix Rotation Task
Category:Spatial Cognition
Duration:~10 minutes
Parameters:7 configurable parameters available: matrix size, feedback, trial counts, display size, practice trials, and response mode (keyboard, mouse target, touch target, mouse button)
Version:0.2
Description
Mental imagery task examining ability to mentally rotate grid patterns to compare with another pattern.
Participants study a 5x5 grid pattern with several cells filled, then view a second pattern and judge whether it is the same pattern rotated 90 degrees left or right, or a different pattern. The task requires mental rotation and visual working memory to compare the patterns. Responses are made using left/right shift keys, mouse targets, or touch targets.
Key Parameters
| size | Number of rows/columns in the matrix (default: 6) |
| givefeedback | whether to give feedback 1=yes; 0=no (default: 1) |
| condsize | number of trials of each same/different (default: 10) |
| numpractice | number of practice trials (3 same, 3 diff) (default: 6) |
| squaresize | size of display square, in pixels. (default: 300) |
| responsemode | Response input mode: auto=automatic detection, keyboardShift=left/right shift keys, mouseTarget=click on labeled targets, touchTarget=touch labeled targets, mouseButton=left/right mouse buttons (default: keyboardShift) |
| responselabels | Semantic labels for left and right responses (default: Array) |
Example Data Output (5 sample rows)
| subnum | trial | practice | samediff | dir | mat1 | mat2 | studytime | rt | resp | corr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| oeuhtaeouh | 1 | 1 | diff | <right> | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5024 | 1551 | right | 1 |
| oeuhtaeouh | 2 | 1 | same | <right> | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2502 | 1439 | left | 1 |
| oeuhtaeouh | 3 | 1 | diff | <right> | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1494 | 987 | right | 1 |
| oeuhtaeouh | 4 | 1 | same | <right> | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1817 | 1972 | left | 1 |
| oeuhtaeouh | 5 | 1 | diff | <left> | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2610 | 988 | right | 1 |
References
Perez, W. A., Masline, P. J., Ramsey, E. G., & Urban, K. E. (1987). Unified tri-services cognitive performance assessment battery: Review and methodology. DTIC AAMRL-TR-87-007.
Phillips, W. A. (1974). On the Distinction Between Sensory Storage and Short Term Visual Memory. Perception and Psychophysics, 16, 283-290.
Damos, D. L., & Lyall, E. A. (1984). The Effect of Asymmetric Transfer on Dual Task Assessment of Voice Technology. Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 28th Annual Meeting, Volume 1, 21-26.