GENDER DIFFERENCES IN VISUAL IMAGERY: OBJECT AND SPATIAL IMAGERY

Öz

Research findings on gender differences in visual imagery are mixed. One reason suggested to account for the inconsistent results has been the treatment of imagery as a unified construct despite the recent arguments of its multifaceted quality. In order to explore how visual imagery is related to gender, the present study differentiates between two different visual imagery construct; object and spatial imagery. In addition, it explores two other factors in characterizing gender differences: the type of the visual imagery measure (i.e., performance type vs. self-report measures) and academic training. One hundred and twenty undergraduates completed the Vividness of Visual Imagery (VVIQ), Mental Rotation Test (MRT) and Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire (OSIVQ). Gender differences were observed in: (1) favoring females in the vividness measure as well as the object imagery questionnaire; (2) favoring males in the mental rotation performance and spatial imagery questionnaire. Academic training did not contribute as a factor. These results suggest that object and spatial imagery are differentially related to gender, and the type of the visual imagery measure does not seem to contribute to the story.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Visual Imagery
• Object Imagery
• Spatial Imagery
• Gender Differences
• Academic Training

GÖRSEL İMGELEMDE KADIN-ERKEK FARKLILIKLARI: NESNESEL VE UZAMSAL İMGELEM

Öz

Görsel imgelemde cinsiyet farklılıkları konusunda bulgular tutarlılık göstermemektedir. Alan yazında buna neden olarak, ampirik çalışmalarda görsel imgelemin tekil ve birleşik bir kavram olarak düşünülüyor olması gösterilmektedir. Buradaki araştırmada, görsel imgelem ve cinsiyet ilişkisi, görsel imgelemin iki çeşidi ele alınarak, yani, nesnesel imgelem ve uzamsal imgelem ayrıştırılarak incelenmektedir. Aynı zamanda akademik eğitim (örn., Sosyal Bilimler ya da Mühendislik Bilimleri eğitimi almış olmak) ve görsel imgelemi ölçmek için kullanılana aracın çeşidi (performans tipi ya da özbildirim ölçekleri) de bu ilişki kapsamında değerlendirilmiştir. Bu bağlamda, yüz yirmi (120) üniversite öğrencisi katılımcı, Nesnesel-Uzamsal İmgeleme ve Sözel Ölçeğini (NUS Ölçeği), Görsel İmgelemin Canlılığı Ölçeğini (VVIQ) ve Mental Rotasyon Testi (MRT) tamamlamıştır. Bulgular, kadın katılımcıların görsel imgelemede imgelemin canlılığında ve nesnesel imgelemede erkek katılımcılara göre daha yüksek skorlar aldıklarını; erkek katılımcıların ise mental rotasyonda ve uzamsal imgelemede kadın katılımcılara göre daha yüksek skorlar aldıklarını gözlenmiştir. Ölçüm aracı tipinin ya da akademik eğitimin etkisi gözlenmemiştir. Buna göre, görsel imgeleme çeşitlerinin toplumsal cinsiyet ile ilişkisinde farklı örüntüler izlediği alan yazındaki bulgular ile karşılaştırmalı olarak değerlendirilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Görsel İmgelem
• Nesne İmgelemi
• Uzamsal İmgelem
• Kadın-Erkek Farkları
• Akademik Eğitim

Kaynakça

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