Qual Quant (2010) 44:1015–1024
DOI 10.1007/s11135-009-9252-9
RESEARCH NOTE
Does spatial visualization ability improve after studying
technical drawing?
Gerardo Prieto · Angela D. Velasco
Published online: 31 May 2009
© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009
Abstract Two studies were carried out to analyze whether learning technical drawing
improves a person’s ability for spatial visualization. Visualization and inductive reasoning
tests were applied at the beginning and end of a course in technical drawing in samples of
first year engineering students. In both studies it was observed that a moderate percentage of
students improved their Visualization test execution. The improvement was similar in men
and women. There was no improvement on the inductive reasoning test. The results support
the conclusion that the spatial visualization ability can be improved with training.
Keywords Spatial ability · Spatial visualization · Inductive reasoning · Technical drawing ·
Training · Rasch model
1 Introduction
All the most important factor studies with small scale figural tests (Carroll 1993; Lohman
1988; McGee 1979; Michael et al. 1957) concluded that visualization, defined as the ability
to manipulate, rotate, twist or invert images of objects, is the most important dimension in
spatial ability.
The susceptibility of spatial ability to training is one of the topics included in research pro-
grams. One of the initial motives stems from the debate on the explanation of sex differences
in spatial tests. The meta-analyses carried out in this field have found differences in favor
of males in several abilities such as mental rotation and visualization (Voyer et al. 1995).
Wittig and Peterson (1979) considered that an argument in favor of the social explanation of
differences would be based on the finding that women improve more than men after a training
G. Prieto (
B
)
Departamento de Psicología Básica, Psicobiología y Metodología, Universidad de Salamanca,
Avda. de la Merced 109-131, 37005 Salamanca, Spain
e-mail: gprieto@usal.es
A. D. Velasco
Universidade Estadual Paulista, Guaratinguetá, SP, Brazil
123
@Phil_Robichaud
@deepthiw
@JoseServera