Does sport expertise bridge the sex gap in mental rotation? Bayesian evidence for the critical role of visuospatial demands.

The sex gap in spatial cognition, particularly in mental rotation (MR) represents a robust individual difference with significant implications for achievement in STEM fields. While some research suggests that sport expertise may reduce this gap, it remains unclear whether such attenuation is a general consequence of athletic expertise or if it depends on the specific visuospatial demands of the discipline. A sample of 180 young adults was categorized into three groups: Wrestlers (dynamic/3D expertise), Track and Field athletes (linear expertise), and Non-Athletes. Participants performed a chronometric MR task with angular disparities ranging from 0° to 150°. Data were analyzed using Bayesian linear and generalized mixed-effects models to account for inter-individual heterogeneity. Results revealed that the mitigation of the sex gap is strictly discipline-specific. In both the Non-Athlete and Track and Field groups, a credible sex difference was observed, with males outperforming females by 12.0% and 14.5% in reaction time, respectively. In contrast, this gap was rendered negligible (3.6% difference) in the Wrestler group. Furthermore, analysis of accuracy slopes indicated that non-expert males prioritized speed at the expense of precision as task difficulty increased, whereas Wrestlers exhibited a stabilized, high-accuracy performance profile across both sexes. These findings suggest that high-demand visuospatial training, such as wrestling, is associated with a powerful equalizing effect on spatial proficiency, highlighting the potential role of functional congruence in cognitive transfer.