TY - GEN
T1 - Cognitive Perspectives on Perceived Spatial Ability in STEM
AU - McNea, Meryn
AU - Cole, Reena
AU - Tanner, David
AU - Lane, Diarmaid
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Spatial ability, crucial for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, displays intriguing gender differences, particularly in tasks involving spatial visualisation and mental rotation. This paper explores the nuanced landscape of gender-related cognitive processing disparities in spatial tasks, contributing to a broader understanding of cognitive diversity. While males tend to outperform females in spatial visualisation and mental rotation tasks, the impact of timing on these assessments reveals a more multifaceted picture, emphasising the importance of considering testing conditions and methodologies. The focus on mental rotation tasks extends beyond research to practical applications in education and vocational settings. Gender disparities in performance, especially under time constraints, prompt an exploration of motivational factors and societal influences. Cognitive differences in mental rotation tasks between genders involve distinct processing approaches. Typically, females exhibit top-down processing, whereas males adopt a bottom-up approach. Significant individual variations within each gender highlight the influence of diverse factors, including biology, environment, and culture on cognitive processes. This cognitive dichotomy provides insights into the varied strategies individuals employ in spatial tasks, emphasising the complexity and diversity of cognitive processes. The paper emphasises the need for inclusive and context-aware approaches when interpreting gender differences in spatial cognition, offering a nuanced perspective on cognitive diversity. Engaging with this research will equip readers with a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between biological, environmental, and cultural factors, ultimately contributing to a more informed and inclusive approach to the study of spatial cognition.
AB - Spatial ability, crucial for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, displays intriguing gender differences, particularly in tasks involving spatial visualisation and mental rotation. This paper explores the nuanced landscape of gender-related cognitive processing disparities in spatial tasks, contributing to a broader understanding of cognitive diversity. While males tend to outperform females in spatial visualisation and mental rotation tasks, the impact of timing on these assessments reveals a more multifaceted picture, emphasising the importance of considering testing conditions and methodologies. The focus on mental rotation tasks extends beyond research to practical applications in education and vocational settings. Gender disparities in performance, especially under time constraints, prompt an exploration of motivational factors and societal influences. Cognitive differences in mental rotation tasks between genders involve distinct processing approaches. Typically, females exhibit top-down processing, whereas males adopt a bottom-up approach. Significant individual variations within each gender highlight the influence of diverse factors, including biology, environment, and culture on cognitive processes. This cognitive dichotomy provides insights into the varied strategies individuals employ in spatial tasks, emphasising the complexity and diversity of cognitive processes. The paper emphasises the need for inclusive and context-aware approaches when interpreting gender differences in spatial cognition, offering a nuanced perspective on cognitive diversity. Engaging with this research will equip readers with a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between biological, environmental, and cultural factors, ultimately contributing to a more informed and inclusive approach to the study of spatial cognition.
KW - Bottom-Up Processing
KW - Cognitive Processing
KW - Mental Rotation
KW - Spatial Ability
KW - Spatial Cognition
KW - Top-Down Processing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85199200159&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-63115-3_5
DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-63115-3_5
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85199200159
SN - 9783031631146
T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
SP - 66
EP - 78
BT - Spatial Cognition XIII - 13th International Conference, Spatial Cognition 2024, Proceedings
A2 - Živković, Marija
A2 - Buckley, Jeffrey
A2 - Pagkratidou, Marianna
A2 - Duffy, Gavin
PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
T2 - 13th International Conference on Spatial Cognition, SC 2024
Y2 - 25 June 2024 through 28 June 2024
ER -