Cars or dolls? Influence of the stereotyped nature of the items on children's mental-rotation performance

•We designed mental-rotation tests with gender-stereotypical test items•Findings revealed no significant gender differences•Second graders performed significantly better than fourth graders•A higher level of familiarity seems to accelerate processing

This study inquired the influence of stimulus features on children's mental-rotation performance with novel gender-stereotyped test versions (M-MRT and F-MRT) administered to 290 elementary-school children (147 second graders and 143 fourth graders; age: M = 8.87, SD = 1.09). No significant gender difference and no significant interaction of gender and stimulus type could be demonstrated. Multiple regression revealed that mental-rotation performance was predicted by perceptual speed and stimulus type (female or male stereotyped) but not by the perceived stereotyped nature or the perceived familiarity of the stimuli. As expected the objects used in the M-MRT were more familiar to boys than to girls, while the objects used in the F-MRT were more familiar to girls than to boys. Furthermore, the cube figures (based on Shepard & Metzler, 1971) were perceived as more male stereotyped. Overall, findings suggest that stimulus attributes influence mental-rotation performance. Results can be discussed with regard to the influence of the stimulus characteristics of Shepard and Metzler's cube figures on the large gender differences in tests in which these figures are used.