| Abstract [eng] |
It is observed that mental rotation tasks are performed better by men than women and currently the available data suggests that the performance of such tasks is related to sex hormones. Additional information regarding cognitive processes during mental rotation and the relationship of such processes with sex and/or the status of sex hormones could be gathered by using eye-tracking. The aim of this master thesis is to evaluate parameters of eye movements during mental rotation task and its links with task performance, sex, and sex hormones. The performance of 89 participants (33 men, 33 naturally cycling women, and 23 hormonal oral contraception using women) was evaluated and their eye movements were tracked using EyeLink 1000 device. The behavioral, eye movements and questionnaires data were used to evaluate the strategy usage. Saliva testosterone and progesterone concentrations were measured to estimate links between sex hormones and task performance, parameters of eye movements, and strategies preferences. The mental rotation task was performed statistically significantly better by men than naturally cycling women, however, preference for different strategies cannot explain why men performed better. All three participants groups made manipulations with an object while looking at an object present in the right visual hemi-field. In the case of men, a higher concentration of testosterone was positively related to the total duration of fixations at the first observed figure before moving the gaze to another figure. It was estimated that evaluation of segments’ direction was related to the superior performance and counting of cubes inside figures was related to inferior performance. |
