Computerizing the Mental Rotations Test: are gender differences maintained?
A computerized version of the Revised Mental Rotations Test using touch-screen technology was tested and compared with the paper-and-pencil version. One hundred ninety-two participants--133 women and 59 men--took the paper-and-pencil version; 91 participants--47 women and 44 men--took the touch-screen version. Standard scores x test half and the entire test, proportion of errors x type, and proportion correct x alternative type were calculated. The expected gender differences occurred in standard scores and proportion correct x alternative type for both test versions. Men performed better than women in all instances, but gender difference effect sizes (measured by Cohen's d) were reduced from large for the paper-and-pencil version to medium for the computerized version. Scores declined at least nominally from the first to the second half of both versions, and significantly for women taking the paper-and-pencil version.
Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859, USA. monah1js@mail.cmich.edu
John S
JS
Monahan
Maureen A
MA
Harke
Jonathon R
JR
Shelley
D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005556:Form Perception; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D012016:Reference Values; D012399:Rotation; D012984:Software; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis