Gender differences in imagery

Abstract

The influence of gender on several measures of mental imagery was assessed using performance tests and imagery questionnaires. A group of 202 female and male university undergraduates were administered three performance tests, and three imagery questionnaires. The performance tests were the Measure of the Ability to Form Spatial Mental Imagery (MASMI), the Spatial Scale of the Primary Mental Abilities (PMA), the Mental Rotation Test (MRT), and the Measure of the Ability to Rotate Mental Images (MARMI). The questionnaires were: The Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire (OSIVQ), the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire-2 (VVIQ-2), and the Betts’ Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery (Betts’ QMI). Men obtained higher scores than women on the performance tests. No significant gender differences were observed on the imagery questionnaires. Women obtained higher scores than men on the Object scale of the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire. The results are discussed and new lines of research are proposed.