Abstract
The Mental Rotation Test (MRT) of spatial abilities has consistently produced large gender differences favoring males. Recent social changes in gender attitudes and gender roles have not diminished such differences. Of special interest is the finding that the MRT involves a spatial ability positively correlated with higher-level math ability; individuals who do well on the MRT also tend to score high on standardized test of mathematics. In our previous studies using a GRE Math Subject Practice Test, we had found a lack of gender differences in math for Chinese college students. At the same time, we found an over-representation of males among physics and computer sciences majors in Chinese colleges. These findings lead to an obvious question regarding gender differences in spatial ability, especially the MRT among Chinese students. The present study was conducted to obtain MRT data from the same population of Chinese college students used in our earlier math studies. We found male Chinese students scored significantly higher than their female counterparts on the MRT.
Highlights
The Mental Rotation Test (MRT) of spatial abilities has consistently produced large gender differences favoring males (Halpern, 2004; Linn & Petersen, 1985; Masters & Sanders, 1993; Voyer, Voyer, &How to cite this paper: Tsui, M., Venator, E., & Xu Xiaoying (2014)
Using standardized math tests scores, we have found a lack of gender differences in math for Chinese high school and college students (Tsui, 2007; Tsui & Venator, 2008)
The gender difference on the MRT among physics majors at Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) is consistent with the earlier studies in China (Geary & DeSoto, 2001; Lippa, Collaer, & Peters, 2008) and the wealth of studies in other countries around the world
Summary
The Mental Rotation Test (MRT) of spatial abilities (see Figure 1) has consistently produced large gender differences favoring males (Halpern, 2004; Linn & Petersen, 1985; Masters & Sanders, 1993; Voyer, Voyer, &How to cite this paper: Tsui, M., Venator, E., & Xu Xiaoying (2014). The Mental Rotation Test (MRT) of spatial abilities (see Figure 1) has consistently produced large gender differences favoring males In their 53-country cross-cultural study, Lippa, Collaer and Peters (2008) found universal gender differences in mental rotation with men’s mean scores significantly higher than those obtained by women. A meta analysis (Masters & Sanders, 1993) showed that gender differences on the MRT have remained stable since 1975 In another meta analysis covering nearly 50 years of research using various tests on spatial abilities, Voyer et al (1995) found that gender differences did get smaller on some spatial-ability tests, but not on the MRT. They showed that the magnitude of the gender difference on the MRT had increased in recent years
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