Experiential factors in sex differences on mental rotation.
Past research has shown that men score significantly higher than women on mental rotation tests. The present study examined the effects of a prior exposure to a mental rotation task, i.e., adapted Cube Comparison test, and to three-dimensional objects, i.e., Legos, on the performance on the Mental Rotation Test. 113 men and women were randomly divided into three conditions: control, exposure, or detailed instructions. On average, men outperformed women. Further analyses showed that sex differences were significant in the control condition but not in the other two, suggesting that a cuing effect may explain some of the robust sex differences in visuospatial tasks.
Cherney
Isabelle D
ID
Department of Psychology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68154, USA. cherneyi@creighton.edu
Jagarlamudi
Kavita
K
Lawrence
Erika
E
Shimabuku
Nicole
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D012399:Rotation; D012737:Sex Factors; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology