ArticleFrontiers in psychology2025
Exercise mediates the sex differences in adult visuospatial cognitive ability.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Sex differences in visuospatial cognitive performance have been consistently documented, with males typically demonstrating superior performance in tasks requiring spatial processing. While multiple biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors have been proposed to explain these differences, the role of physical exercise as a potential mediator remains understudied. Given that females typically engage in less physical exercise than males globally, this study aimed to investigate whether exercise intensity serves as a mediating factor in the observed sex/gender differences in visuospatial cognitive ability. Methods: A total of 224 undergraduate students (112 men and 112 women) aged 18-25 years participated in a comprehensive battery of visuospatial cognitive tests, including assessments of mental rotation, spatial memory, and spatial navigation ability. Participants' weekly exercise patterns were assessed using the validated Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire, with activities categorized into strenuous, moderate, and mild exercise. Mediation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro (Model 4) with 5,000 bootstrap iterations, controlling for spatial anxiety, sense of direction, and childhood spatial activity experience. Results: Males significantly outperformed females across all visuospatial cognitive domains (all Conclusion: Physical exercise, particularly strenuous exercise, partially mediates sex differences in visuospatial cognitive abilities among young adults. These findings suggest that promoting increased participation in strenuous physical activities among women may help reduce gender disparities in visuospatial cognition. However, the cross-sectional nature of this study precludes causal inferences, and future longitudinal or intervention studies are needed to confirm these relationships.
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