1. 1 Psychology 320: Gender Psychology Lecture 28

2. 2 A recent Global TV broadcast, 16:9, discussed gender identity disorder among children. In the broadcast, the viewer is introduced to children diagnosed with the condition. You can access the broadcast at: http://www.globaltvbc.com/programs/16x9/Sunday+Nov ember+15th+2009/2236959/story.html. Announcement

3. 3 Intelligence and Cognitive Abilities: 1. Do females and males differ in their cognitive abilities?

4. 4 Do females and males differ in their cognitive abilities? A large body of research has examined the cognitive abilities of females and males. This research can be grouped into clusters:

5. 5 Research on sensation and perception:  Olfaction: F > M.  Taste: F > M.  Audition: F > M. Exception: Sound localization.  Vision: M > F. Exceptions: Adaptability to darkness, tolerance for high levels of illumination. Males are prone to attend to “mechanical motion,” whereas females are prone to attend to “biological motion.”

6. 6 Research on general intelligence:  IQ: F = M. Research on general knowledge:  Current affairs, recreation, technology, geography, history: M > F.  Medicine: F > M.  Psychology, literature, business, art: F = M.  Subjective estimates: M > F.

7. 7 Research on verbal ability:  Wechsler’s verbal intelligence scale: F > M.  Reading fluency and comprehension: F > M.  Writing ability: F > M.  Verbal memory: F > M.  Synonym generation: F > M.  Spelling: F > M.  Speech articulation: F > M.

8. 8  Dyslexia: M > F. Note that research indicates that teachers “overestimate” the number of boys with reading disabilities.  Meta-analysis: d for overall verbal ability is -.11.  Stuttering: M > F.  Sex differences in verbal abilities are consistent across age groups, but appear to be decreasing across time.  Hyde (1981, 1988) maintains that gender accounts for only 1% of variance in verbal ability.

9. 9 Research on mathematical ability:  Arithmetic computation: F > M.  Geometry: M > F.  Standardized mathematics tests (e.g., SAT, GRE): M > F.  Mathematically-gifted individuals: M > F.  Problem solving: M > F.  Grades in math classes: F > M.

10. 10  Confidence in and identification with mathematics: M > F.  Sex differences in mathematical ability increase across age groups, but appear to be decreasing across time.  Meta-analyses: ds for overall mathematical ability range from +.03 to +.26.

11. 11 Intelligence and Cognitive Abilities: 1. Do females and males differ in their cognitive abilities?