Biological and environmental influences in visuospatial abilities

Abstract

Sex differences in cognition have been the focus of intense debate for years. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that the pattern of sex differences in a visuospatial task may be differential due to environmental factors such as the participation of females in technical and scientific courses. A total of 452 undergraduate students (146 males and 306 females) participated in this study. Results showed a significant effect of academic discipline on both Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) copy and recall scores. Significant effects of gender were found only on the recall condition. This pattern of results indicates that both gender and academic discipline may influence the performance on a visuospatial task such as ROCF. © 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.