5 - Sex Differencesin Visuospatial Abilities

Summary

Abstract

Sex differences are found in a variety of tests of visuospatial abilities ranging from standardized paper-and-pencil or computerized tasks to tests of way-finding ability and geographical knowledge. The size of those differences and their direction vary (although most tasks favor males) depending on the type of skill being tested and the age and background of research participants. Sex differences may relate to differences in processing strategies, discrete underlying processes (e.g., working memory capacity), or expectations. Factors such as neural structure or function, sex hormone exposure, formal and informal learning experiences, and societal stereotypes appear to contribute jointly to these differences. Suggestions for further research include the design of better tests of visuospatial abilities, development of educational programs to enhance visuospatial performance, and a better understanding of the cognitive components that underlie visuospatial abilities, as well as the relationship of visuospatial abilities to mathematics and other cognitive skills.