Effects of orientation on Rey complex figure performance

An experiment was performed that examined the impact of stimulus orientation on performance on the Rey complex figure. A total of 48 undergraduates (24 men, 24 women) were randomly assigned to one of four Rey figure orientation groups (0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°). Participants followed standard procedures for the Rey figure, initially copying it in whatever orientation group they were assigned to. Next, all participants performed a 15–20 min lexical decision experiment, used as a filler task. Finally, and unbeknownst to them, participants were asked to recall as much of the figure as they could. As expected, results revealed a main effect of Task (F=83.92, p<.01), in which copy performance was superior to recall performance. However, the main effect for orientation was not significant, nor did orientation interact with task (Fs<.68, ps>.57). The results are important from an applied setting, especially if testing conditions are less than optimal and a fixed stimulus position is not possible (e.g., testing at the bedside).