Sex differences in 5925 high school seniors in ten psychological tests

Abstract

Astudy of the sex differences revealed by the scores on the individual tests given during a state mental survey of 5925 high school seniors (ages 16-23) in Indiana in 1918 and 1919. The test used was the Mental Survey Scale, No. 1, Schedule D, the same used by Mrs. L. W. Pressey in her study of differences in general and special ability in 880 public school children between the ages of 9 and 16. There follows a brief comparison between some of the findings in each of the two studies:[Table omitted]The boys at every age level excelled the girls in tests calling for arithmetical ability and practical information; the girls at every age level excelled the boys in tests which appealed to primary memory, word associations, and language forms. The authors stress the importance of the fact that sex differences in variability and specific mental functions do occur. They suggest that the superior rating of the girls in Mrs. Pressey's study is due to the fact that girls' development is accelerated from one to two years during the period between 9 and 15; and that the superior rating of the high school boys in their own study is due to the fact of selection—that more dull girls than dull boys probably remain in high school to graduate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)