The mental rotation skill of mathematically talented male and female adolescents was measured with an altered test administration procedure so that students could complete the test after the time limit expired. This procedure was used to compare performance under traditional timed test conditions and conditions in which the effects of time on performance were minimized. A significant difference was found favoring males in both conditions. A comparison between Timed and Composite scores, however, showed that the male advantage decreased substantially when the effect of time was minimized.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Benbow, C., & Stanley, J. (1980). Sex ditterences in mathematical ability: Fact or artifact?Science, 210, 1262-1264.
2.
Connor, J.M., & Serby, L.A. (1985). Visual-spatial skill: Is it important for math? Can it be taught? In S. F. Chipman, L. R. Brush, & D. M. Wilson (Eds.), Women and mathematics: Balancing the equation (pp. 151-174). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
3.
Cohen, J. (1969). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. New York: Academic Press .
4.
Fennema, E., & Tartre, L. (1985). The use of spatial visualization in mathematics by girls and boys. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education , 16, 184-206.
5.
Gallagher, S. (1989). Predictors of SAT Mathematics scores of gifted male and gifted female adolescents. Psychology of Women Quarterly , 13, 191-203.
6.
Eliot, J., & Smith, I. (1983). An international directory of spatial tests. Windsor, UK: NFER-Nelson.
7.
Higham, S.L. (1984). Cognitive processes in verbally and mathematically talented adolescents: Sex differences, cerebral asymmetry, and the SAT. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
8.
Johnson, E.S., & Meade, A.C. (1987). Developmental patterns of spatial ability: An early sex difference. Child Development, 58, 725-740.
9.
Kail, R., Stevenson, M., & Black, K. (1984). Absence of a sex difference in algorithms for spatial problem solving. Intelligence, 8, 37-46.
10.
Khoury, H., & Behr, M. (1982). Students' performance, individual differences, and modes of representation. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 13(1), 3-15.
11.
Lajolie, S.P., & Shore, B.M. (1986). Intelligence: The speed and accuracy tradeoff in high aptitude individuals. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 9(2), 85-104.
12.
Linn, M.C., & Peterson, A.C. (1985). Emergence and characterization of sex differences in spatial ability: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 56, 1479-1498.
13.
Maccoby, E.E., & Jacklin, C.N. (1974). The psychology of sex differences. Stanford, CA: The Stanford University Press.
14.
Mumaw, R.J., & Pellegrino, J.W. (1984). Individual differences in complex spatial reasoning. Journal of Educational Psychology , 76(5), 920-939.
15.
Mumaw, R.J., Pellegrino, J.W., Kail, R.V., & Carter, P. (1984). Different shapes for different folks: Process analysis of spatial aptitude. Memory and Cognition, 12(5), 515-521.
16.
Newcombe, N., & Bandura, M. (1982). Effect of age at puberty on spatial ability in girls: A question of mechanism. DeuelopmentalPsychology, 19(2), pp. 215-224.
17.
Poltrock, S.E., & Brown, P. (1984). Individual differences in visual imagery and spatial ability. Intelligence, 8, 93-138.
18.
Raven, J.C. (1947). Advanced Progressive Matrices. London: H. K. Lewis and Co., Ltd.
19.
Raven, J.C., Court, J.H., & Raven, J. (1983). Manual for Raven's Progressive Matrices and Vocabulary Scales, Section 4: Advanced Matrices Sets I and IILondon : H. K. Lewis and Co., Ltd.
20.
Schwartz, S., Griffin, T., & Brown, J. (1983). Power and speed components of individual differences in letter matching. Intelligence, 7(4), 369-378.
21.
Sternberg, R. (1985). Beyond IQNew York: Cambridge University Press. Thurstone, L.L. (1938). Primary mental abilities . Psychometric Monograph (No. 1). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
22.
Thurstone, L., & Thurstone, T. (1965). Primary mental abilities tests. Chicago: Science Research Associates.
23.
Vernon, P.A. (1983). Speed of information processing and general intelligence . Intelligence, 7(1), 53-70.
24.
Vemon, P.A., Nador, S., & Kantor, L. (1985). Reaction times and speed of processing: Their relationship to timed and untimed measures of intelligence. Intelligence, 9(4), 357-374.
25.
Weiner, N.C. (1983). Cognitive aptitudes, personality variables, and gender difference effects on mathematical achievement for mathematically gifted students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ.