Research Byte: A Meta-Analysis on Gender Differences in Mental Rotation Ability Measured by the Purdue Spatial Visualization Tests: Visualization of Rotations (PSVT:R)

PT J
AU Maeda, Y
Yoon, SY
AF Maeda, Yukiko
Yoon, So Yoon
TI A Meta-Analysis on Gender Differences in Mental Rotation Ability
Measured by the Purdue Spatial Visualization Tests: Visualization of
Rotations (PSVT:R)
SO EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW
AB This meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the magnitude of gender
difference in three-dimensional (3-D) mental rotation ability and to
investigate how factors related to test administration conditions play a
role in varying gender difference effect sizes and threatening validity.
Individuals' 3-D mental rotation ability was measured by the Purdue
Spatial Visualization Tests: Visualization of Rotations (PSVT:R). We
integrated 70 effect sizes of gender differences in mental rotation
ability measured by the PSVT:R which were obtained from 40 primary
studies. The results indicated that male participants outperformed
females on the test (Hedges' g = 0.57). The I (2) statistic indicated
41.7 % of variation in effect sizes reflects real heterogeneity. The
moderator analysis indicated that male superiority on spatial ability
tasks measured by the PSVT:R is related to the implementation of time
limits. The gender difference became larger when stringent time limits
(equal or less than 30 s per item) were implemented.
PD MAR
PY 2013
VL 25
IS 1
BP 69
EP 94
ER