1. Are Men Better Visualizers?
Nora S. Newcombe
Temple University

2. Sex Differences Are Real
Mental rotation
Horizontality and verticality
Mechanical reasoning

3. Sex Differences Are Evident at Four Years
Frequency
Spatial Transformation Score
Levine, Huttenlocher, Taylor & Langrock (1999)

4. Sex Differences May Be Relevant to Geoscience Education

5. Predicting B.A. Degree Areas Shea, Lubinski & Benbow (2001)

6. Two Unwarranted Assumptions
Biological causation
Immutability

7. A Powerful Case for Biological Differences?
Cross-cultural universality
Systematic relationships with differences in prenatal hormone levels
Systematic relationships with changes in current hormone levels
Lack of measured differences in parenting practices or social expectations (other than those caused by actual differences between boys and girls)
Greater male variability
Sociobiology

8. Many of These Propositions Can Be Questioned
Relations to prenatal hormone levels are hard top find, e.g., CAH research
Sociobiology story can be critiqued
Universality can be questioned

9. Sex- and SES-Linked Differences Exist and Interact20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
100
Low
Middle
High
SES
Percentage Correct
Boys
Girls
Chance

10. Is Causation of Sex Differences the Right Question?
A more important questions is, if there is a sex-linked spatial skill, is it a fixed ability or a potential to benefit from experience?
If people can benefit from experience, what are the limits of male and female reaction ranges?
Analogies to historical change in
Height
Longevity

11. Can Spatial Skills Be Increased? YES!
Effects of
practice and training
simple instructions
school
Flynn effect

12. Training Effects on Transfer Tasks
p<.02
p<.01
n.s.

13. Conclusion
We must educate to enhance spatial visualization in all students