ARTS/SCIENCE DIFFERENCES: THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM SPECIALIZATION

Abstract

This research sets out to examine whether academic bias is evident in the test performance of future arts students and scientists before they have begun to specialize. It also considers what effect increased age and length of specialization has upon the development of arts/science differences. A group of non‐specialist fourth‐form grammar schoolboys were given three cognitive tests (AH 5, Self‐judging Vocabulary and Word‐in‐context). The boys were followed through to the sixth‐form and two subgroups of arts and science specialists constructed according to their final choice of sixth‐form course. The test performance of this sample was compared with the performance of two groups of students who had received further arts or science training, one group at sixth‐form and the other at college of education level. The results provide firm evidence that differences of cognitive bias exist between future arts students and scientists before they have received any specialist education. There is some indication that such differences increase with age and further academic specialization. These findings lend support to the view advanced by Hudson (1966, 1968) that arts/science differences amongst schoolboys are related to more general personality differences which are fairly clearly defined before a choice of specialism is made. It is suggested that curriculum factors assume importance in helping to determine the strength and direction of such predispositions in the personalities of schoolboys. The research is related to earlier work into arts/science differences and to the current debate concerning the ‘swing away from science’ in higher education (cf. Dainton, 1968).