Final answer:
The statement that girls are worse at regulating their externalizing emotions than boys is false. Social norms and educational practices historically shaped different expectations for emotion expression in boys and girls, and scientific studies show variations rather than definitive inferiority in emotional regulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The assertion that girls are worse than boys at regulating their externalizing emotions is false. In fact, societal expectations and educational practices have historically reinforced different emotional expression norms for males and females. Studies like those conducted by Sadker and Sadker (1994) and Thorne (1993) demonstrate that, in schools, boys are often allowed more freedom to exhibit outward expressions of emotions, such as breaking rules, while girls are expected to follow rules more obediently. Additionally, a study on gender differences in emotion regulation using fMRI by McRae et al. (2008) provides scientific insight into these differences, rather than supporting the notion that one gender is inherently worse at emotion regulation than the other.