Among 25 female and 25 male college students, field-articulation measures correlated with spatial visualization (. −69 to .79) (P ≤ .05) but not consistently with each other or measures of dependency. Practice significantly affected Rod-and-frame performance for both sexes (p ≤ .01), but no sex differences were found on measures of field articulation or dependency. Males' mean for spatial visualization was higher (p ≤ .05); males were more confident than females on RFT performance even though no more accurate (p ≤ .05). Among Ss oldest of sibs, females were less field-articulated, males more. Males had higher RFT errors when the frame top was tilted to S's left; females had higher RFT errors when the frame was tilted to the right (p ≤ .05), which is consistent with the hypothesis that for females more frequently than males control of spatial function is located in the left hemisphere of the brain.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BardwickJ. M.Psychology of women. a study of bio-cultural conflicts. New York: Harper & Row, 1971.
BentonA. L.Right-left discrimination and finger localization. New York: Hoeber, 1959.
4.
BerentS.SilvermanA. J.Verbal learning and field dependence. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1973, 36, 1327–1330.
5.
BufferyA. W. H.GrayJ. A.Sex differences in the development of spatial and linguistic skills. In OunstedC.TaylorD. C. (Eds.), Gender differences: Their ontogeny and significance. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1972. Pp. 123–175.
6.
CoatesS.Preschool Embedded Figures Test, manual. New York: Psychological Corp., 1972.
7.
CoatesS.Sex differences in field independence among preschool children. In FriedmanR. (Ed.), The psychology of sex differences. New York: Wiley, in press.
8.
CohenB. D.BerentS.SilvermanA. J.Field dependence and lateralization of function in the human brain. Archives of General Psychiatry, 1973, 28, 165–167.
9.
EdwardsA. L.Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, manual. New York: Psychological Corp., 1959.
HécaenH.Aphasic, apraxic and agnosic syndromes in right and left hemisphere lesions. In VinkenP. J.BruynG. W. (Eds.), Handbook of clinical neurology. Vol. 4. New York: Wiley, 1969. Pp. 291–326.
12.
HeilbrunA. B.Jr.The localization of cerebral lesions by the use of psychological tests. (Doctoral dissertation, State Univer. of Iowa) Ann Arbor, Mich.: Univer. Microfilms, 1954. (No. 9578).
13.
JacklinC. N.MaccobyE. E.Sex differences in intellectual abilities: A reassessment and a look at some new explanations. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Educational Research Assn, April, 1972.
14.
KaganJ.KoganN.Individual variation in cognitive processes. In MussenP. H. (Ed.), Carmichael's Manual of child psychology. (3rd ed.) Vol. 1. New York: Wiley, 1970. Pp. 1273–1365.
15.
KatoN.A fundamental study rod frame test. Japanese Psychological Research, 1965, 7, 61–68.
16.
KimuraD.Spatial localization in left and right visual fields. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 1969, 23, 445–458.
17.
LansdellH.Sex differences in effect of temporal-lobe neurosurgery on design preference. Nature, 1962, 194, 852–854.
18.
LansdellH.Sex differences in hemispheric asymmetries of the human brain. Nature, 1964, 203, 550.
19.
LindquistE. F.Design and analysis of experiments in psychology and education. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1953.
20.
LoweN. J.A critical reevaluation of Witkin's Rod-and-frame test: Some unresolved questions. (Doctoral dissertation, Washington Univer.) Ann Arbor, Mich.: Univer. Microfilms, 1971. (No. 19, 821).
21.
MaccobyE. E.Sex differences in intellectual functioning. In MaccobyE. E. (Ed.), The development of sex differences. Palo Alto, Calif.: Stanford Univer. Press, 1966. Pp. 24–55.
22.
MaccobyE. E.JacklinC. N.Sex differences in intellectual functioning. In AnastasiA. (Ed.), Assessment in a pluralistic society: Proceedings of the 1972 invitational conference on testing problems. Princeton, N. J.: Educational Testing Service, 1972. Pp. 37–55.
23.
MaccobyE. E.JacklinC. N.Psychology of sex differences. Palo Alto, Calif.: Stanford Univer. Press, in press.
24.
McGloneJ.DavidsonW.The relationship between cerebral speech laterality and spatial ability with special reference to sex and hand preference. Neuropsychologia, 1973, 11, 105–113.
25.
MerendaP. F.ClarkeW. V.KesslerS.AVA and KPDS as measures of passive-dependency. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1960, 3, 338–341.
26.
MerendaP. F.ClarkeW. V.MusikerH. R.KesslerS.AVA and KPDS as construct validity coordinates. Journal of Psychological Studies, 1961, 12, 35–42.
27.
MeyerV.JonesH. G.Patterns of cognitive test performance as functions of the lateral localization of cerebral abnormalities in the temporal lobe. Journal of Mental Science, 1957, 103, 758–772.
28.
NevillD. D.Experimental manipulation of dependency motivation and its effects on eye contact and measures of field dependency. (Doctoral dissertation, Univer. of Florida) Ann Arbor, Mich.: Univer. Microfilms, 1971. (No. 72–16,639).
29.
ShermanJ. A.Problem of sex differences in space perception and aspects of intellectual functioning. Psychological Review, 1967, 74, 290–299.
30.
ShermanJ. A.On the psychology of women: A survey of empirical studies. Springfield, Ill.: Thomas, 1971.
31.
SiegelS.Non-parametric statistics. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1956.
32.
StarkR.An investigation of unilateral cerebral pathology with equated verbal and visual-spatial tasks. (Doctoral dissertation, Wayne State Univer.) Ann Arbor, Mich.: Univer. Microfilms, 1960. (No. 64–3323).
33.
SteinA. H.BaileyM. M.The socialization of achievement orientation in females. Psychological Bulletin, 1973, 80, 345–346.
34.
WitkinH. A.The effect of training and of structural aids on performance in three tests of space orientation. (Report No. 90) Washington: Division of Research, Civil Aeronautics Association, 1948.
35.
WitkinH. A.Sex differences in perception. Transactions of the New York Academy of Science, 1949, 12, 22–26.
36.
WitkinH. A.Social influences in the development of cognitive style. In GoslinD. A. (Ed.), Handbook of socialization theory and research. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1969. Pp. 687–706.
