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Several investigators have used meta-analysis to compare the results of studies of gender differences on various spatial tests and have concluded that the magnitude of the gender difference in spatial ability is decreasing over time. The present study used meta-analytic techniques to compare the effect size (d) of the gender difference in 14 studies published from 1975 to 1992 which administered the Mental Rotations test to adolescents and young adults. Males scored significantly higher than females in all the studies. Analyses of the d's computed for the studies revealed that the magnitude of the gender difference on the Mental Rotations test has remained stable over time. Neither the Pearson correlation relating the d's to the publication dates of the studies nor the Z test of the linear contrast relating the publication dates of the studies to the effect sizes showed a linear change in the size of the gender difference over time. The finding of a stable gender difference on the Mental Rotations test argues against the general conclusion that the gender difference in spatial ability is decreasing.

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This study presents evidence that the maturation-related difference in spatial ability found in adolescents persists into adulthood. College undergraduates completed two tests of spatial ability (the Shepard/ Metzler Mental Rotation test and the ETS Card Rotations test) and one test of verbal ability (the PMA Vocabulary test). The students were also asked to indicate on a 5-point rating scale when they reached puberty in relation to others of the same sex. Regression analyses demonstrated a significant relation between puberty ratings and performance on the Mental Rotation test, later maturers scoring higher than earlier maturers. There were no maturation-related differences on the other tests. Significant sex differences were found on all tests: Women scored higher on the verbal test, and men scored higher on the two spatial tests.