An investigation of sex differences in spatial ability: Mental rotation of three-dimensional objects.

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Abstract
Two-dimensional computer-generated representations of 3-dimensional objects were presented in pairs to 20 males 20 females. Subjects [Ss] were given 15 s to make a same-different judgment of the objects, 1 of which was rotated 0, 40, 80, 120 or 160.degree. from the other. Ss were assessed on 2 standard spatial ability tests and a verbal-imagery questionnaire. Men were more accurate than women, and the slope of the function relating response time to degree of rotation was steeper in women. There was a significant linear relation between performance and degree of rotation. Rate of rotation and accuracy correlated with the other tests of spatial ability. Response time slope correlated with imagery in men but not in women, suggesting that frequent use of visual imagery was related to mental rotation rate in men but not in women. There was no clear relations between performance and the strategy the Ss professed to use in doing the mental rotation.

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