Mental rotation tasks have been widely used to assess individuals’ spatial cognition and the ability to mentally manipulate objects. This study employed a computerized adaptive training method to investigate the behavioral performance of participants of different genders in mental rotation tasks with different rotation angles before and after training. A total of 44 Chinese university students participated in the experiment, with the experimental group undergoing a five-day mental rotation training program. During the training phase, a three-down/one-up staircase procedure was used to adjust the stimulus levels (response time) based on participants’ responses. The results showed that the training had a facilitative effect on the mental rotation ability of both male and female participants, and it was able to eliminate the gender differences in mental rotation performance. Regarding the angles, we observed that the improvement in the angles involved in the training was significantly higher compared to untrained angles. However, no significant differences in improvement were found among the three trained angles. In summary, these findings demonstrate the effectiveness of computerized adaptive training methods in improving mental rotation ability and highlight the influence of gender and angles on learning outcomes.

Numerous studies have shown the major chords express positive emotions, while minor chords convey negative emotions. However, several research suggest that the association between major/minor chords and emotional valence may vary due to certain musical contextual factors. This study investigates whether the emotional experience associated with major and minor chords is influenced by chord progressions. Employing subjective evaluations, participants were asked to evaluate the emotional valence, stability, and tension of individual chords (Experiment 1) and the final chords in chord sequences (Experiment 2). Results indicate that the pleasantness ratings of major chords are significantly higher than those of minor chords, while tension ratings are significantly lower. However, stability ratings between major and minor chords did not significantly differ. Notably, when major chords served as the final chords in stable termination progressions, their ratings in pleasantness and stability will be significantly higher compared to those of minor chords, and at the same time, they will also elicit lower tension ratings. While unstable terminations show no significant differences in ratings between major and minor chords across the dimensions of pleasantness, stability, and tension. Thus, this study reveals that chord progressions, as a musical context, influence the emotional valence of major and minor chords through variations in their stability and tension.

Alpha oscillations are a fundamental rhythm of human brain activity, yet most studies have emphasized the peak alpha frequency (IAF) while overlooking the width of the alpha band. Here, we examined the individual alpha bandwidth (IAB) as a complementary marker across four EEG datasets. Using a unified preprocessing pipeline, we assessed its reliability and functional relevance. Test-retest analyses showed good-to-excellent reliability, supporting its trait-like stability. Importantly, IAB estimated with the Savitzky-Golay filter (SGF) method-but not with FOOOF or amplitude-difference-was significantly related to sensory and cognitive processes, whereas IAF showed no such associations. In perception, wider parieto-occipital IAB during eyes-closed rest was associated with larger P2 amplitudes in visual and auditory evoked potentials. In cognition, wider parieto-occipital IAB during eyes-open rest was linked to smaller flanker interference effects and enhanced N450 amplitudes. Mediation analysis further revealed a significant indirect effect of N450 on the IAB-inhibitory control relationship, whereas the direct effect was not significant. These findings suggest that IAB reflects both perceptual and executive processes, but its functional relevance is constrained by methodological and experimental factors. Specifically, associations were method-dependent (emerging only with SGF), state-dependent (perception during eyes-closed rest, cognition during eyes-open rest), and in the cognitive domain, also frequency-window dependent (significant only within 6-14 Hz). Overall, this study establishes IAB as a reliable neural marker of individual differences in sensory and executive function while underscoring key methodological considerations for future research.