Gender Differences in Visuospatial Abilities and Complex Mathematical Problem Solving.

Isabel M Ramírez-Uclés,Rafael Ramírez-Uclés

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00191

Abstract

Mathematical problem-solving and spatial visualization are areas in which performance has been shown to vary with sex. This article describes the impact of gender on spatial relations measured in 331 secondary school students (202 males, 129 females), 145 (105 males, 40 females) of whom had been selected to participate in a mathematical talent stimulation project after passing a complex problem-solving test. In the two tests administered, the Differential Aptitude Tests-Space Relations (DAT-SR) and the Primary Mental Abilities-Space Relations (PMA-SR), performance was assessed on the grounds of both absolute scores and the ratio to the number of items answered. The students participating in the talent program earned higher scores on both tests, although no interaction was identified between mathematical abilities and gender in connection with the differences in spatial habilities observed. In PMA-SR, boys answered more items and scored higher, whereas in DAT-SR girls tended to omit more items. None of the indicators studied exhibited differences between the sexes in both tests and in some cases the differences in the absolute values of the indicators were absent when expressed as ratios.

Highlights

The importance of visualization in mathematical problem solving has been highlighted in mathematics education (Clements and Battista, 1992; Arcavi, 2003), no consensus has yet been reached on its role in improving performance (Bishop, 1980; Lean and Clements, 1981)
Traditional studies concluded that spatial awareness and the capacity to visualize abstract mathematical relationships were not necessarily components of mathematical talent (Krutetskii, 1976), whilst later studies revealed that talented students preferred non-visual methods (Presmeg, 1986)
The controversial findings are explained by the existence of different conceptions of mathematical talent and visualization, thereby requiring a clear view on what factors are used in the research to characterize both mathematical talent and visualization

Summary

Introduction

The importance of visualization in mathematical problem solving has been highlighted in mathematics education (Clements and Battista, 1992; Arcavi, 2003), no consensus has yet been reached on its role in improving performance (Bishop, 1980; Lean and Clements, 1981). Traditional studies concluded that spatial awareness and the capacity to visualize abstract mathematical relationships were not necessarily components of mathematical talent (Krutetskii, 1976), whilst later studies revealed that talented students preferred non-visual methods (Presmeg, 1986). More recent research has found significant evidence of a relationship between visualization and mathematical ability, (Rivera, 2011; Rabab’h and Veloo, 2015; Ramírez and Flores, 2017). The controversial findings are explained by the existence of different conceptions of mathematical talent and visualization, thereby requiring a clear view on what factors are used in the research to characterize both mathematical talent and visualization. There is consensus in that visualization should be considered an inherent ability needed to accomplish certain mathematical tasks, there is still no consensus on what instruments are most appropriate for identification of mathematical talent (Pitta-Pantazi and Christou, 2009).

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