Differences in Visual Spatial Ability Among Females and Males

Differences related to gender in spatial memory are most widely described and studied of cognitive sex differences. In 1974 Maccoby and Jacklin established that males usually perform better than females in measures of spatial performance, and this discovery has been constantly replicated in multiple studies covering various developmental stages (McGivern et al. 1997; Lewin et al. 2001) and spatial tasks (Dabbs Jr. et al. 1998; Driscoll et al. 2005).

A common stereotype is that men are predominately better at math than women. In this

A further possibility in explaining the differences in educational achievement in regard to educational system changes could be the phasing out of more practical subjects that have historically been advantageous for boys, the majority of whom are kinaesthetic learners and do better with this type of examination. In the past where subjects such as woodwork or design technology consisted of largely practical assessments (making or designing things); they now consist more of exams which probably do not suit boy as much as the practical, kinaesthetic way of learning and being assessed. This can be said for many other traditional subjects, such as the sciences, which used to contain more actual experimentation that students would be graded on, but has now become more exam based. Girls on the other hand learn better either through visualising or listening which could favour them in exams. This could be the reason why girls, when these sorts of subjects were more practical didn’t do as well as boys, but since the changes, have enabled them to do better than the boys.

However in regards to general results between both genders it was shown that no definite statistical mean yielded notable results (Alansari & Baroun, 2004). Stroop (1935) also showed that women college students also showed a difference when compared to the men and tended to have higher word reading results, but in regards to the genders showed no significant differentiation between both at the cognitive level.

According to Hetherington and Parke (2002), studies of brain imaging identified that in female bilateralism there were greater amounts of blood flow. The male brain reflects greater lateralization attributing to a higher success rate in spatial tasks and mathematics.

Differences in brain structure between males and females result in important differences in perceptions, emotional expressions, priorities and behaviors. (*) Relationship traits, problem solving approaches, mathematical abilities, reactions to stress, language, emotions, brain size, pain perception, spatial ability and susceptibility to disorders are just some areas in which men and women react differently because of their differences in brain structure. (*) To some scientists and theorists these many influential biological differences between men and women make gender roles inevitable. (*)

Infants of both genders have the same capacity for proficiency in math, but as they get older, more barriers seem to appear, which separate the results of males and females (Spelke). Women have one major barrier that men do not have: their responsibility to bear children and tend the household. This lead some females to believe that they do not have to excel in math and science fields, or at school in general, because they will one day stay at home and take care of their children and family. While women must focus on both their family and their studies, men can work and study without this pressure (Sternberg). Researchers have identified other differences between males and females, including advanced spatial skills in males and superior verbal skills in females (Spelke). The studies collected, however, do not supply sufficient information on gender differences, and therefore lack enough data to support any findings

In her scientific work Sex Differences in the Brain Kimura analysis several key differences that cause men and women to excel in various tasks and jobs due to naturally occurring phenomenon in the body and

“Men have better distance vision and depth perception, and usually better vision in lighted environments. Women have better night vision, see better at the red end of the light spectrum, and have better visual memory.” (Steadyhealth website, 2015, Difference between male and female structures (Mental and Physical))

I also saw this frequently when I interned at a preschool. When we were teaching the children new tasks the females seemed to pick up the concepts quickly with little help. They are more visual and

​Historically, men have displayed a stronger spatial memory than women ("Sex Differences in Memory"; Loftus et al. 82). What this means is that men are generally better at remembering things such as where the car is parked, driving directions (Loftus et al. 71) and, as exemplified in "Sex Differences in

Glass begins with a prearranged true-false quiz which shows how many of our preconceived biases about differences between the sexes and how they communicate are actually false (Glass, 1994). Glass (1994) states that women are not statistically shown to be more intuitive than men. However, they have been discovered to be more detail oriented in both their

Researchers and testing has proven over time, that some cognitive abilities between males and females change throughout infancy and adolescents. Girls generally perform and use their verbal skills much earlier than boys. Women do much better on exams such as SAT’s in the verbal areas where men excel in the mathematical arena. This finding in itself may seem to solidify the fact of biological makeup. If that is the case, then why do girls perform equally as proficient in the area of math until they reach their “tween” and teenage years, which is generally between 6th and 7th grade? At this point, there seems to be a decline in the female’s performance in the area of math.

No one would argue the fact that men and women are physically different. The physical differences are rather obvious and most of these can be seen and measured easily. Men, who are essentially built for physical confrontation and the use of force, usually have greater upper body strength, build muscle easily, have thicker skin, and mostly use the left side of their brain. Women on the other hand, have a higher percentage of body fat, and a wider pelvis. Women also have four times as many brain cells connecting the right and left side of their brain. This provides physical evidence that supports the observation that men rely easily and more heavily on their left brain to solve one problem one step at

Knowing the differences in the brain begins to give some understanding on how and why females and males learn differently. There are many basic differences in learning. Like stated previously females are better at verbal skills which makes them better at reading and writing and causes them to use words as they learn, and males are better