# A Global Overview of SVA--Spatial-Visual Ability
## 4 Materials and Methods
### Data Analysis  
The table below (Table 1) lists the variables and categories and their acronyms. Additionally, all journals were taken into account.  
To make organizing information easier, the sector categories, countries, years, and ages were aggregated. Continents were used to classify the countries. Only those countries where the SVA has been studied are shown in the table.  
The 87 studies finally selected, however, were categorized by sector, year, country, and age group. A customized categorisation was employed for the overall sector grouping. Within each sector, further categories were established for additional clarity and organisation, however in this instance, the information was derived from the research articles that were analysed.  
The literature was categorised age-wise, which enables readers to track the evolution of research findings from early childhood to the teenage years, adulthood, and subsequent stages of life, emphasizing the subtleties and intricacies that emerge during each period of development. As the frameworks of the educational system are well-established, the age groupings have been made according to the commonly recognised developmental phases (Table 1). This overview employs a developmental framework, recognizing the significant variations in human experiences, behaviours, and consequences that occur throughout distinct periods in life.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline
**Variable** & **Categories** & **Abbreviation** \\ \hline Sector & STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), & A \\  & geometry and geography & A \\  & Socioeconomic Factors, Demographics and Gender Differences & B \\  & Architecture, Interior Design, Product Design and Design & C \\  & Computer Graphics, Computer Games, Google SketchUp, VR & D \\  & and AR & E \\  & Development of a new assessment tool & F \\  & Literature Studies & F \\  & Psychology, Intelligence, and individual differences & G \\  & Mental Rotation and Mental Cutting & H \\  & Biology and Neurology & I \\  & Other & J \\ Year & Articles published in and before the 1970s & Y1 \\  & Articles published in the 1980s & Y2 \\  & Articles published in the 1990s & Y3 \\  & Articles published between 2000 and 2005 & Y4 \\  & Articles published between 2006 and 2010 & Y5 \\  & Articles published between 2011 and 2015 & Y6 \\  & Articles published between 2016 and 2020 & Y7 \\  & Articles published from 2021 onwards & Y8 \\ Country & America: Canada, Mexico, Peru and USA & C1 \\  & Europe: Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, & C2 \\  & Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden & C2 \\  & and Switzerland & Asia: China/Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, \\  & Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey & C3 \\  & Australia & C4 \\ Age Group & 5 years and below—kindergarten students and children & A1 \\  & 6 years old to 8 years old—primary-school students & A2 \\  & 9 years old to 15 years old—middle- and high-school students & A3 \\  & 16 years old to 17 years old and up-to & A4 \\  & 17 years—higher-secondary-school students & A5 \\  & 18 years old to 22 years old—university and graduate students & A5 \\  & 23 years old and above—postgraduate students and & A6 \\  & working professionals & A7 \\  & Mixed-age groups & A7 \\  & Age not applicable & A8 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 1: Variables, categories, and abbreviations.