ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

In the field of intelligence studies, it is an important topic to find out the possible causes of sex differences in spatial abilities. So in this study, we separated elements that were assumed to be used in 2- and 3-dimensional mental rotation tasks, and verified whether sex differences were existed in these elements mutually different in those two tasks. The subjects participants in this experiments were 315 university students(male 157, female 158). We administered 2- and 3- dimensional mental rotation tasks in which they were asked to compare the standard stimulus with an alternative stimulus that were either same or different(mirror image), and 6 kinds of spatial ability tests. We set the four-stage componential model that consisted of four components such as encoding, rotation, compare, and respond components, and then used linear regression analysis to test this model. The experiment's results were as follows. First, RTs(reaction times) on performance in the mental rotation tasks were almost linearly increased at 0°-180°, and almost linearly decreased at 180°-360° in both sex in both tasks. Also, magnitude of sex difference in 3 -dimensional task was greater than in 2-dimensional task. Second, internal validities obtained by fit of model(R²) were high enough in both tasks( .85 in 2-dimensional task, .80 in 3-dimensional task). Third, male's speeds of encoding, rotation, and compare components were faster than female's, and rotation components was the most significant in explaining sex differences in both 2- and 3- dimensional tasks. Fourth, when we obtained external validity of componential model by computing correlations between components scores and 6 spatial ability tests scores, only rotation components had highest correlations, and these correlations in 3-dimensional task were higher than in 2- dimensional task. This study has an important meaning for providing some experimental evidences. First, one of the causal processes which make sex differences in spatial abilities is a mental rotation component. Second, Sex differences of mental rotation appear greater in 3-dimensional task than in 2 -dimensional task. Finally we suggest that the studies about strategy training effects, sex differences in virtual reality task, and physiological studies such as cerebral cortex and EEG should be done in the future.

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