Impossible "mental rotation" problems - A mismeasure of women's spatial abilities?

Citation
Dd. Kerkman et al., Impossible "mental rotation" problems - A mismeasure of women's spatial abilities?, LEARN IND D, 12(3), 2001, pp. 253-269
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Psycology
Journal title
LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
ISSN journal
10416080 → ACNP
Volume
12
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
253 - 269
Database
ISI
SICI code
1041-6080(2001)12:3<253:I"RP-A>2.0.ZU;2-I
Abstract
Current textbooks report that men's visual-spatial skills are superior to w omen's. However, the research is not consistent with this sweeping generali zation. We hypothesized that sex differences would be more pronounced on "i mpossible problems" (mirror images) than possible rotations. We also hypoth esized that males' performance would be adversely affected by visual interf erence, whereas females' performance would be adversely affected by auditor y interference. Ninety-five college students (25 males, 70 females) viewed images of a train station from various perspectives, including some that we re impossible rotations of the original image. There were no sex difference s in accuracy or response time on the possible rotation problems, but males were more accurate than females on impossible problems. Neither auditory n or visual interference affected accuracy. The alleged sex difference in men tal rotation problems is largely due to the use of problems that are not ac tually mental rotation problems. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.