Performance in everyday spatial orientation tasks (e.g., map reading and navigation) has been considered functionally separate from performance on more abstract object-based spatial abilities (e.g., mental rotation and visualization). However, few studies have examined the link between spatial orientation and object-based spatial skills, and even fewer have done so including a wide range of spatial tests. To examine this issue and more generally to test the structure of spatial ability, we used a novel gamified battery to assess six tests of spatial orientation in a virtual environment and examined their association with ten object-based spatial tests, as well as their links to general cognitive ability (g). We further estimated the role of genetic and environmental factors in underlying variation and covariation in these spatial tests. Participants (N = 2660; aged 19–22) were part of the Twins Early Development Study. The six tests of spatial orientation clustered into a single ‘Navigation’ factor that was 64% heritable. Examining the structure of spatial ability across all 16 tests, three, substantially correlated, factors emerged: Navigation, Object Manipulation, and Visualization. These, in turn, loaded strongly onto a general factor of Spatial Ability, which was highly heritable (84%). A large portion (45%) of this high heritability was independent of g. The results point towards the existence of a common genetic network that supports all spatial abilities.

日常空间定位任务（例如，地图阅读和导航）的表现被认为在功能上与更抽象的基于对象的空间能力（例如，心理旋转和可视化）的表现是分开的。然而，很少有研究检查空间定向和基于对象的空间技能之间的联系，包括广泛的空间测试在内的研究更少。为了研究这个问题并更广泛地测试空间能力的结构，我们使用一种新颖的游戏化电池来评估虚拟环境中的六种空间定向测试，并检查它们与十种基于对象的空间测试的关联，以及它们与一般认知能力（g）。我们进一步估计了遗传和环境因素在这些空间测试中潜在变异和协变中的作用。参与者（N  = 2660；19-22 岁）是双胞胎早期发育研究的一部分。空间方向的六项测试聚集成一个单一的“导航”因素，该因素具有 64% 的可遗传性。检查所有 16 项测试的空间能力结构，出现了三个基本相关的因素：导航、对象操作和可视化。这些，反过来，强烈地加载到空间能力的一般因素上，这是高度可遗传的（84%）。这种高遗传力的很大一部分（45%）与g无关. 结果表明存在一个支持所有空间能力的共同遗传网络。