Ch. 7 Cognitive Abilities and Aptitudes Flashcards
Week 4 (19 cards)
What are the historical origins of research on sex differences in cognitive abilities?
intelligence testing was largely unscientific (phrenology) until the early 20th century when IQ testing was first developed. early IG testing put women at a systemic disadvantage bc women received less formal education than men. modern research indicates that women and men are equal on overall mental ability, but do differ in some more specialized cognitive skills.
What is phrenology?
the discredited study of how the shape and size of the skull relates to mental abilities and personal attributes.
What are the specific domains of cognitive performance that show sex similarities and differences?
one of the few to show a gender diff is visual spatial abilities. includes being able to visualize objects from diff angles and mentally rotate them, predicting the location of a moving object, or remembering the location of a previously seen object. women have a slight advantage with the spatial-location memory, while men tend to show a slight advantage with spatial visualisation. overall men and women are far more similar on these skill sets than they are different. meaning theres no trickle down effect onto which occupation a person chooses.
What are the factors that can influence cognitive performance?
cognitive abilities associated with intelligence are more often flexible and situational and not tied to ones genetics. For example, the Flynn Effect suggests that IQs have substantially increased in only the last few generations. differences in performance can often be attributed to differences in ones experiences with motivational factors like stereotype threat and perceived discrimination from ppl administering tests exerting a large influence on observed differences.
How can research on gender and cognitive performance be applied to real-world issues?
parents and teachers play a large role in how they shape their childrens interests through the early experiences they provide them with and the kinds of messages they receive about which activities are considered boy appropriate or girl appropriate. the under representation of women in some fields like stem or men in some fields like childcare cannot be explained by the small differences seen on cognitive aptitude tests. its far more likely that the differences we see on these tests are reflecting existing cultural gender norms which are impacting ones preferences and interests.
what is intelligence?
general mental ability. the general capacity to understand ideas, think abstractly, reason, solve problems and learn.
What is intelligence quotient?
IQ score representing a persons lvl of intelligence as measured by a standardized intelligence test.
What is the flynn effect?
IQs increasing in the last few generations. so IQ scores have significantly increased overtime.
What is verbal fluency?
the ability to generate words. see a small sex difference favoring females d= -0.33.
What is verbal reasoning?
the ability to understand and analyze concepts often tested with analogies or word problems. see a small sex difference favoring males d= 0.15, or no sex difference.
What are visual spatial abilities?
cog skills that help ppl understand relationships btwn objects and navigate 3D space. in general theres a sex difference favoring males d= 0.40.
What is spatial location memory?
ability to remember the location of objects in physical space. sex difference favoring females d= -0.34.
What is spatial perception?
the ability to perceive, understand, and remember spatial relations btwn objects. ie. identifying a horizontal line in a tilted glass. sex difference favours males d= 0.33-0.48
What is spatial visualization?
the ability to represent and manipulate 2 and 3D objects mentally. ie folded paper with hole punch, visualizing what it would look like unfolded. sex differences favours males d= 0.19.
What is the greater male variability hypothesis?
men show more variability than women in their distributions of scores on cognitive performance measures. so have more scores that are very high and very low.
What is dyslexia?
a learning disability characterized by impairment sin reading including difficulties with word recognition and spelling.
What is autism spectrum disorder?
a developmental disorder typically characterized by sensory sensitivities, repetitive behaviours and difficulties with speech, nonverbal communication, and social interaction.
What is down syndrome?
a genetic disorder characterized by physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual impairment, and distinct physical features.
What is achievement motivation?
a persons need to meet goals and accomplish tasks.
