Gender differences in spatial ability within virtual reality

Contemporary research into performance within virtual reality shows that there is a significant gender difference, favouring males. This study will use a quantitative approach to explore gender differences in spatial ability by comparing performance on a standard paper and pencil mental rotation task (Purdue ROT) and a 3D mental rotation task viewed via shutterglasses. Such tasks measure subjects' ability to visualise 3D objects in space and to rotate them in their imagination. Researchers believe that it is this ability that underlies gender differences in quantitative aptitude and achievement, and can be found at the root of many of the problems females encounter within Virtual Reality, such as navigation and cybersickness. However, preliminary results indicate that there is no gender difference with regards to accuracy, but there is a significant gender difference, favouring females, with regard to speed. This is a perplexing result as the cognitive literature and evidence from other disciplines quite clearly show significant male advantages in mental rotation tasks.