Explaining sex differences in mental rotation: role of spatial activity experience

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Males consistently outperform females on mental rotation tests (MRT).
• Sex differences in spatial ability are linked to success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
• The influence of early spatial activity experience on these sex differences is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if early spatial activity experience, particularly sex-typed activities, mediates observed sex differences in mental rotation test (MRT) scores.
• To explore potential interventions for closing the spatial ability gap between males and females.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to 571 ethnically diverse university students.
• Participants completed a demographic survey, an 81-item spatial activity survey, and the Vandenberg and Kuse mental rotation test (MRT).
• Statistical analysis was used to examine the mediation effect of spatial activities on the relationship between sex and MRT scores.

Main Results:

• A significant relationship was found between participant sex and MRT score.
• This relationship was partially mediated by the number of masculine-typed spatial activities engaged in during youth.
• Early engagement in masculine spatial activities significantly predicted higher MRT scores.

Conclusions:

• Early participation in sex-typed spatial activities contributes to sex differences in spatial abilities like mental rotation.
• Encouraging female youth to engage in specific masculine-associated spatial activities may help reduce the spatial ability gap.
• Addressing these differences is crucial for promoting gender equity in STEM fields.