The Influence of Spatial Ability on High and Low Order Anatomy Examination Questions

Students with high spatial visualization ability (Vz) outperform students with low Vz in anatomy; yet, the influence of Vz on different Bloom's Taxonomy levels of multiple‐choice questions (MCQs) has not been established. This study aimed to assess the influence of Vz on different Bloom's Taxonomy levels of MCQs & whether studying anatomy improves Vz. It is hypothesized that students with high Vz will outperform students with low Vz on higher order MCQs. Allied health students (n=47) completed the Mental Rotations Test (MRT) to establish Vz. The mean Vz was 9.1±3.6, which divided students into high Vz (n=23; avg MRT=11.8±2.9) & low Vz (n=24; avg MRT=6.5±1.6) groups. The MCQs were classified into four Bloom's levels: knowledge, comprehension, application & analysis. Data indicate that students with high Vz (avg=87.6±6.1) outperform students with low Vz on MCQs (avg=82.1±7.6; p<0.05). Students with high Vz performed better on knowledge, comprehension, & analysis MCQs (p<0.05), while there was no difference on application MCQs. Upon completion of the course, students repeated the MRT; the overall mean Vz increased from 9.1±3.6 to 12.5±4.6 (p<0.05). Both the high & low Vz groups demonstrated improvement (high Vz: 11.9±3.0 ‐ 15.3±4.4; low Vz: 6.7±1.6 ‐ 9.9±3.1, p<0.05). Results suggest that Vz plays a role in MCQ performance in both high & low order Bloom's levels & that participation in anatomy can assist in training Vz.