Chapter 5 Flashcards
(22 cards)
Cautions about research on gender comparison
- Biased samples can influence results
- People’s expectations can influence results
- If we measure some ability and then we create one graph for the scores of males and another graph for the scores of females; they will overlap
- Research seldom find gender difference in all situations
- The cognitive gender difference are not large enough to have a major influence on a person’s career choice
Meta-analysis approach
Summarizing multiple studies
General Intelligence
Similar intelligence according to IQ score, test shows gender similarities
Complex cognitive tasks
Both sexes show no difference in complex problems, creativity tasks; no difference in learning style
Verbal ability @ young age
Similarities are more striking than the differences
Verbal ab- Adolescents and adults
Similarities in spelling, vocab, reading but females are better at verbal fluency
Verbal ab- meta analysis
Slightly favor women d= .11 (no major difference)
Verb ab- SAT performance
Difference is minimal
Reading disability
Poor reading skills that are not accounted for by the level of general intelligence
Reading disability comparision
Boys are more likely than girls to have reading disabilities
General mathematics abilities meta analysis
Shows similarities d= .15
Math standardized test
Consistent gender similarities in mathematics
Grades in math courses
Females score higher
Math SAT female under prediction
Women do worse on these so it is now a good indicator of their college math grades
Spatial abilities
Understanding, perceiving and manipulating shapes/figures
Spatial Visualization
requires complex processing of spatially presented information; both sexes perform similarity with d score of .19 males are slightly better
Spatial perception
Participants are asked to identify a horizontal or vertical location without being distracted by irrelevant info; males perform somewhat higher (.40) some studies show no difference
Mental Rotation
measures the ability to rotate a two or three dimensional figure rapidly and accurately; males tend to perform better but results can be elusive
Spatial abilities
understanding, perceiving and manipulating
Gender biological differences- do they explain gender difference?
No
Experience as gender difference explanation
Number of classes taken, extra-curricular activities, influence of parents and teachers
Stereotype threat
If you belong to a group that is hampered by a negative stereotype and you are reminded of your membership to that group, your performance may suffer
