1. 1 Psychology 320: Psychology of Gender and Sex Differences Lecture 29

2. 2 Office Hour Invitations December 2 nd, 11:30-12:30 Kenny 2517 17917089 24551111 34679100 36996098 42595082 57663106 60521085 60819083

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

4. 4 By the end of today’s class, you should be able to: 1. discuss sex similarities and differences in: verbal ability, mathematical ability, and spatial ability. 2. identify the ages at which sex differences in cognitive abilities emerge. 3. identify trends across time in the magnitude of sex differences in cognitive abilities. 4. define and explain the “mathematical paradox.”

5. 5 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. Do females and males differ in their cognitive abilities? (continued)

6. 6  Synonym generation: F > M.  Spelling: F > M.  Speech articulation: F > M.  Stuttering: M > F.  Dyslexia: M > F. Note that research indicates that teachers overestimate reading disabilities among boys.

7. 7  Meta-analysis: d for overall verbal ability is -.11.  Sex differences in verbal abilities are consistent across age groups, but are decreasing across time.  Hyde (1981, 2005) maintains that sex accounts for only 1% of variance in verbal ability.

8. 8 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.

9. 9  Confidence in and identification with mathematics: M > F.  Sex differences in mathematical ability increase across age groups, but are decreasing across time.  Meta-analyses: ds for overall mathematical ability range from +.03 to +.16.

10. 10 Distribution of Effect Sizes in Meta-Analytic Study of Math Performance, d = +.05 (Lindberg et al., 2010)

11. 11 Research on spatial ability:  Wechsler’s performance intelligence scale: M > F.  Spatial perception: M > F.  Mental rotation: M > F.  Spatial visualization: M > F.  Spatiotemporal ability: M > F.  Maps: F and M read and interpret maps differently.  Spatial location memory: F >M.

12. 12 Spatial Perception Rod and Frame Test Water Level Problem

13. 13 Mental Rotation

14. 14 Spatial Visualization Embedded Figures Paper Folding Embedded Figures

15. 15 Spatiotemporal Ability

16. 16 Spatial Location Memory

17. 17 Maps

18. 18  Sex differences in spatial ability increase across age groups, but appear to be decreasing across time.  Meta-analyses: ds for overall spatial ability range from +.13 to +.25.  Hyde (1981, 2005) maintains that sex accounts for less than 5% of variance in spatial ability.

19. 19 “Comprehensive” assessments of sex differences in cognitive abilities and cross-cultural assessments of sex differences in cognitive abilities are consistent with the research findings noted thus far:

20. 20 Grade 12 Profile: Gender Difference and Similarity for 15 Types of Tests (Cole, 1997)

21. 21 Intelligence and Cognitive Abilities 1. Do females and males differ in their cognitive abilities?