Tropical climate and time of day: A dual influence on implicit motor imagery ability

Mental rotation (MR), which requires cognitive manipulation and spatial transformation of imagined object, is a form of implicit mental imagery that is useful in spatial reasoning and problem solving. As MR ability can be affected by thermal stress, we aimed to evaluate the effects of both the time of day and the TC on MR performance in tropical climate.

A sample of 36 participants acclimatized to a tropical climate performed a MR test under two environmental counterbalanced conditions (tropical climate - TC versus air conditioning - AC) at four times throughout the day (7 am, 11 am, 2 pm and 6 pm).

Participants yielded higher MR performance in AC than in TC and better scores at 6 pm, compared to other times of the day, regardless of environmental conditions. MR performance was higher when the environment was perceived as more pleasant. Participants further reported a lower feeling of fatigue in late afternoon, when thermal comfort and positive affect were higher CONCLUSION: The results of this study can contribute to adjust implicit imagery guideline to TC by recommending performing MR late in the afternoon.