THE SPACE FACTOR IN MATHEMATICS - GENDER DIFFERENCES

The relationship of spatial and mathematical skills has been the subje ct of both speculation and empirical investigation. A meta-analysis of correlations of spatial and mathematical skills has found that these are not high, and that correlations of verbal and mathematical skills are higher Many researchers have suggested that the space-math relatio nship,nay be gender-specific. The further meta-analytic results report ed here show that in selected samples, math-space correlations are hig her in females than in males, with the difference becoming more pronou nced with greater selectivity Because these samples are of gifted or c ollege-bound youth, explanations which emphasize career-directed attit udes in the interplay of spatial and mathematical skills are suggested .