Development of the spatial ability self-report scale (SASRS): reliability and validity studies

In this study, a self-report measure of spatial ability, the Spatial Ability Self-Report Scale (SASRS), was developed to evaluate undergraduates' spatial abilities. A total of 362 undergraduates from a government university in central Turkey participated. Exploratory factor analysis with promax oblique rotation revealed three factors: Object Manipulation Spatial Ability (OMSA), Spatial Navigational Ability (SNA), and Visual Memory (VM). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that these factors constituted a model-with good fit. A concurrent validity study using the Mental Rotations Test (MRT) demonstrated significant correlations between OMSA and the overall scale. However, the correlations between MRT and SNA and MRT and VM were not significant. The item analysis, internal consistency and test-retest reliability findings suggested that the eighteen items on the SASRS have a three-factor structure and that the scale is valid and reliable.