Discuss the gender differences in visual-spatial ability.

Answers will vary. Visual-spatial ability refers to the ability to visualize objects or shapes and to mentally manipulate and rotate them. This ability is important in such fields as art, architecture, and engineering. Boys begin to outperform girls on many types of visual-spatial tasks starting at age eight or nine, and the difference persists into adulthood. The gender difference is particularly notable on tasks that require imagining how objects will look if they are rotated in space. Some researchers link visual-spatial performance to evolutionary theory and sex hormones. It may be related to a genetic tendency to create and defend a territory. An environmental theory is that gender stereotypes influence the spatial experiences of children. Gender-stereotyped boys' toys, such as blocks, Legos, and Erector sets, provide more practice with spatial skills than gender-stereotyped girls' toys. Boys are also more likely to engage in sports, which involve moving balls and other objects through space.