STEM Fields: Spatial Thinkers Needed

    NEW YORK, NY, February 14, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In a recent study, the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation, Inc., (JOCRF), has found that spatial ability was high for all STEM majors, with the highest levels for physical science, engineering and math majors, and computer science majors scoring above average.

However, of all the students in the study who had high spatial ability, only 20% of the females and 34 % of the males were majoring in the STEM fields. Females with high spatial ability majored in physical science, engineering, and computer science at lower than expected rates commensurate with their abilities. According to Linda Houser-Marko, a Foundation researcher who conducted the study, "More students in general have the abilities to major in the STEM fields. There is a larger pool of both female and male students who have high spatial ability who have the potential to go into the STEM fields."

The study was conducted on a sample of 11,502 young adult (18 to 24 years old) JOCRF clients, of which 16% had chosen to major in one of the STEM fields. The most were in the biological sciences (5.7%), with engineering (5.5%) also being a popular major in this sample

According to Dr. Houser-Marko, "Being aware of one's strengths and weaknesses can help a person make better decisions, particularly for college and career directions. Knowing the important role of spatial ability in the STEM fields might help to increase interest in those fields, because not all students with high spatial ability are majoring in the STEM fields and they are the biggest growth area of our economy, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics."

The Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit research organization with two primary commitments: to study human abilities and to provide people with knowledge of their aptitudes that will help them make career and educational decisions. Begun in 1922 at General Electric, the Foundation has been an independent organization since 1939.

Contact : Steve Greene, Director of Public Communications, 212-269-0550, [email protected]

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