When adult versions of tests of spatial ability were modified and administered to 94 boys and 99 girls in Norway, results indicated that spatial ability is a more unified trait in boys than in girls, in whom spatial abilities are more heterogeneously organized. (SLD)

Compared male and female four-year-olds' performance on a kinesthetic acuity test (KAT) with or without extra visual-spatial cues and on a measure of visual-spatial ability. Found that all children performed better on the KAT with extra cues and that boys scored higher on visual-spatial ability and performed better on the KAT only with extra cues.…

Explores (1) problems of the validity of tests of spatial ability, and (2) problems of the recessive gene influence theory of the origin of sex differences in spatial ability. Studies of cognitive strategies in spatial problem solving are suggested as a way to further investigate recessive gene influence. (Author/RH)

This series of activities on spatial relationships was designed to help users acquire the skills of spatial visualization and orientation and to improve their effectiveness in applying those skills. The series contains an introduction to spatial orientation with several self-directed activities to help improve that skill. It also contains seven…

Investigated the effect of computer programs that require the use of spatial skills on third and fourth graders' spatial ability. Students who used a software program that required rotation of objects scored better than other students on a measure of figural classification, but not on a measure of object rotation. (BC)

Investigates the difference between children's drawings from two- and three-dimensional models, specifically, the influence of color and line, the difference between multicolor and monochrome material, and gender differences. Finds that children's drawings present detailed information about the subject first, then simple proportions, and finally…

This study tested whether mental rotation performance of 186 high school students (80 males and 106 females) in grades 9 through 12 in art and nonart classes on Vandenbergs Mental Rotations test (S. Vandenberg and Kuse, 1978) was affected by gender, visual-spatial activities, strategies used while performing the test, and the ease of test taking.…

This exploratory study investigated whether there are differences between males and females in the strategies used to construct mental representations from three-dimensional objects in a dimensional travel display. A Silicon Graphics IRIS computer was used to create the travel displays and mathematical models were created for each of the objects…

Three-dimensional visualization skills are critically important to success in engineering careers. Unfortunately, studies have shown that the 3-D spatial visualization skills of women engineering students lag significantly behind those of their male counterparts. This paper examines gender differences in background and in visualization ability for…

The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to evaluate the test-retest reliability of four theoretical measures (distance, angle, vertical, and horizontal error) of the Felt Figure Replacement Technique (FFRT) (Kuethe, 1962); (2) to assess sex differences in performance accuracy for those measures found to be reliable; and (3) to examine…

The relationship between students' relative ability in visual-spatial tasks as well as their verbal and numerical skills to their performance in an introductory college chemistry course was investigated. For 700 subjects, verbal and mathematics Scholastic Aptitude Test scores (SAT-V) and (SAT-M) and the following four perceptual tests were…

Investigates the hypothesis that preservice teachers specializing in science and mathematics will score significantly higher on spatial ability tests than other preservice teachers. Also investigates gender-related differences in spatial ability. Contains 26 references. (DDR)

This study tested a causal model of the development of spatial visualization based on a synthesis of past and present research. During the summer and fall of 1999, 117 third- and fourth-year undergraduates majoring in architecture, mathematics, mathematics education, and mechanical engineering completed a spatial visualization test and a…

Spatial aptitude tests designed for elementary school children were given to third-grade students from both suburban and rural schools in Pennsylvania. Results were scrutinized by the declared favorite subjects of the participants and organized by gender. Students who preferred science and mathematics did better on spatial tests than students who…

This exploratory study was conducted to investigate the potential interaction between the media attribute, horizontal screen placement, and a learner's cognitive aptitudes, fluid ability, and visualization. The primary hypothesis tested was that low-ability learners who are without well-developed assembly and control operations should perform…