Sex differences in mental rotation: the role of stereotyped material, perceived performance and extrinsic spatial ability

Abstract

ABSTRACT Men usually outperform women in mental rotation tests with larger differences in paper-pencil tests than in chronometric tests. Using male or female stereotyped objects instead of cube figures as rotational material, interactions of sex and material appear in paperpencil tests. In the present study, 117 participants (72 women) solved a chronometric mental rotation test with male and female stereotyped objects, rated their test performance, and solved a water-level test. A significant interaction of sex and material in the mental rotation test illustrates a significant sex difference in the male but not in the female version. Participants' perceived performance and their water-level test performance predicted their mental rotation performance. Above that, participants' sex predicted the results in the male version of the mental rotation test. Stereotype threat and lift effects in women are discussed as potential reasons for the absent sex differences in the mental rotation test with female stereotyped objects.