Working Memory and Strategy Use Contribute to Gender Differences in Spatial Ability

In this review, a new model that is grounded in information-processing theory is proposed to account for gender differences in spatial ability. The proposed model assumes that the relative strength of working memory, as expressed by the ratio of visuospatial working memory to verbal working memory,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEducational psychologist Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 261 - 282
Main Authors Wang, Lu, Carr, Martha
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Philadelphia Routledge 02.10.2014
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Cognitive Processes
Cognitive Style
Gender Differences
Information processing
Literature Reviews
Memory
Short Term Memory
Spatial Ability
Task Analysis
Verbal Ability
Visual Perception
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Summary:In this review, a new model that is grounded in information-processing theory is proposed to account for gender differences in spatial ability. The proposed model assumes that the relative strength of working memory, as expressed by the ratio of visuospatial working memory to verbal working memory, influences the type of strategies used on spatial ability tasks. Strategy use, in turn, influences performance on spatial ability tasks. Gender differences in spatial ability can be explained by gender differences in strategy use as a function of the relative strength of visuospatial working memory to verbal working memory.
ISSN:0046-1520
1532-6985
DOI:10.1080/00461520.2014.960568