Training effects and sex difference in preschoolers' spatial reasoning ability.

This study examined sex difference in spatial reasoning, a type of spatial cognition necessary for everyday activities. An aggregated data set was composed of data from 273 3- to 4-year olds who participated in 12 different studies using variants of the same spatial reasoning task. This data set was used to investigate whether and how sex difference is related to learning opportunities through training. The results showed that boys outperform girls in general, but this sex difference was influenced by training. When children received additional training, boys showed improved spatial reasoning ability compared to girls. But when children did not receive additional training, there was no sex difference. The type and amount of training did not influence the sex difference in this data set. These findings add to our understanding of how sex difference in spatial cognition emerges in early development.