Question

Research shows that boys typically outperform girls on mental rotation tasks. This statement means that

a. the variability in this skill between males and the variability in this skill betwee females is smaller than the differences between them
b. there is no overlap between the distributions of males and females
c. all boys outperform all girls
d. while males on average outperform females on this task, there are still some females that perform better than some males

Answer 1

The statement in question means that boys, on average, may outperform girls in mental rotation tasks, but some girls perform better than some boys.

Therefore, the correct answer is: option d) while males on average outperform females on this task, there are still some females that perform better than some males.

Step-by-step explanation:

Research conducted by biologists and psychologists, including Anne Fausto-Sterling, has shown that most studies reveal no statistically significant difference in cognitive abilities between males and females.

It is noteworthy to consider that the minor differences observed may be influenced by cultural factors such as parenting, societal expectations, and education rather than innate biological differences.

Studies suggest that certain socialization patterns might contribute to the performance gap seen in spatial abilities. When examining different cultural contexts, we also see a variation in this performance, which underlines the significant contribution of cultural factors.

Furthermore, consideration must be given to potential lurking variables that could skew observed differences in abilities, such as encouragement and education in specific areas like mathematics for boys and language use for girls.