What is the impact of visual–spatial ability, psychological, personal, and educational factors on anatomy performance: a cohort study
Description
Background: Visual–spatial ability (VSA) is considered important for anatomy learning and clinical skill development, yet its predictive value for academic performance in physical therapy (PT) education remains unclear. This study examined VSA, psychological factors, and selected personal and educational variables as predictors of anatomy performance in a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, and evaluated changes in VSA and psychological measures over a semester. Methods: A pre–post cohort study was conducted with first-year DPT students (N = 32) enrolled in a 16-week neuromusculoskeletal anatomy course incorporating full-body cadaver dissection. Baseline and post-course assessments included the Mental Rotations Test (MRT), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Academic performance was measured using a composite average of written, practical, and a visual–spatial-specific anatomy examination. Predictive modeling was performed using LASSO and multiple linear regression. Results: MRT scores improved significantly (p < 0.001), while depressive symptoms increased (p = 0.009); anxiety and resilience showed no significant change. The final regression model explained 46.2% of the variance in academic performance. Lower baseline anxiety and higher depressive symptoms were significant predictors, whereas baseline VSA was retained but not independently significant. Conclusion: The predictive model explained a moderate proportion of variance in academic performance, suggesting that psychological variables may be more salient predictors than baseline VSA. These findings support a multidimensional view of anatomy success in DPT education and suggest that full-body dissection may contribute to VSA development. However, increased depressive symptoms alongside stable anxiety and resilience highlight the need to address student well-being in parallel with cognitive skill development. Further research is needed to clarify how cognitive and psychological factors interact to influence performance.
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Steps to reproduce
This study was a convenience sample of first year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students from a single US university taking a neuromusculoskeletal anatomy course using full body dissection of human cadavers during their first semester. Participants provided basic demographic information, and information about their experiences with video games, personal history of persistent pain, current pain level, previous experience with human cadavers, time since taking prerequisite anatomy courses, whether they had completed anatomy courses beyond the required prerequisites, their confidence level about their ability to successfully complete the anatomy course and, whether they intended to work a job during the semester and the number of hours they worked during the semester. Similarly participants completed electronic versions of the GAD-7, PHQ-9, and BRS. The MRT Version A was administered as a group to all participants concurrently immediately prior to and following the course. Visual-spatial ability was assessed immediately prior to and following the course, administered as a group to all participants. This was done by using the Version A of the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (MRT), a validated 24-item measure. Each item presents a target 3D figure and four response options, two of which are rotated versions of the target and two distractors. Participants were instructed to identify the two correct matches for each item. The test was administered in two parts of 12 items each, with a three-minute time limit per section. The total score ranged from 0 to 24, with one point awarded for each pair correctly identified. At the end of the semester, the anatomy course director provided written exam scores and practical exam scores. During the first week of the following semester (3 weeks later), participants completed the visual-spatial specific anatomy exam which lasted approximately 50 minutes. This was administered in a group setting and consisted of 61 questions related to neuromusculoskeletal content representing the entire body. Each slide displayed using Powerpoint in a lecture hall included an anatomical image and a question. Participants were given 45 seconds to respond to each question. For each question, participants rated their confidence in their answers on a scale of 0 “extremely unconfident” and 10 “extremely unconfident.” Percent correct scores were used in the analysis.
Institutions
- Belmont UniversityTN, Nashville