Gender Differences In Test Research Articles

Gender differences in hand grip strength of children in Bosnia and Herzegovina aged 11 to 14 years. A cross - sectional study

Hand grip strength (HGS) serves as a multifaceted and critical parameter within the domain of motor function and is widely recognized as a pivotal aspect in the comprehensive evaluation of the development of school-aged children. The aim of the research was to determine the values of HGS, the trend of changes and differences between boys and girls aged 11-14 years from Bosnia and Herzegovina. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 585 students. The subsample was divided into 307 boys (11y = 81; 12y = 87; 13y = 77; 14y = 62) and 278 girls (11y = 66; 12y = 83; 13 y =79; 14y = 50). Hand muscle strength was measured using the method of isometric dynamometry in laboratory conditions, with a standardized test - Hand grip (according to the American Society of Hand Therapists). The force achieved during the maximum hand grip (dynamometry) was measured with a digital hand dynamometer CAMRY-EH101, USA. Statistically significant differences between male and female respondents were confirmed (for age 12, T = -2.651, p<0.009; for age 13, T =-5.178; p<0.000; for age 14, T =-7.124; p<0.000). In both sexes, the dominance of the strength of the right (dominant) hand than left (non-dominant) hand is evident. The study confirmed a positive trend of strength development in both sexes, as well as gender differences in the HGS test between children aged 12 to 14 years.

Game based assessments of cognitive ability in recruitment: Validity, fairness and test-taking experience.

Gamification and machine learning are emergent technologies in recruitment, promising to improve the user experience and fairness of assessments. We test this by validating a game based assessment of cognitive ability with a machine learning based scoring algorithm optimised for validity and fairness. We use applied data from 11,574 assessment completions. The assessment has convergent validity (r = 0.5) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.68). It maintains fairness in a separate sample of 3,107 job applicants, showing that fairness-optimised machine learning can improve outcome parity issues with cognitive ability tests in recruitment settings. We show that there are no significant gender differences in test taking anxiety resulting from the games, and that anxiety does not directly predict game performance, supporting the notion that game based assessments help with test taking anxiety. Interactions between anxiety, gender and performance are explored. Feedback from 4,778 job applicants reveals a Net Promoter score of 58, indicating more applicants support than dislike the assessment, and that games deliver a positive applicant experience in practise. Satisfaction with the format is high, but applicants raise face validity concerns over the abstract games. We encourage the use of gamification and machine learning to improve the fairness and user experience of psychometric tests.

Sustainable development: Exploring gender differences in the Swedish national test in geography for grade 9

This paper provides an analysis of how Swedish 15-year-olds perform on the high-stakes national assessments in geography. It explicitly addresses which item characteristics produce differential item functioning (DIF) in favor of boys and girls respectively. The findings show that DIF occurs in favor of girls in items with constructed response and primarily with content on the social dimension of sustainable development (SD), while boys are more favored by content outside the field of SD. The conclusions drawn are that content that reaches higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy favors girls, especially when the subject content concerns SD. This is important when analyzing the teaching and examination of sustainability issues in school.

Stereotype threat as an antecedent to domain identification and achievement in language arts in boys: a cross-sectional study

A substantial number of experimental studies on stereotype threat explores performance of girls in mathematics. Only few concentrated on gender differences favoring girls in language performance. However, gender differences in a reading test in the Program for International Student Assessment are three times larger than in mathematics. Considerable research indicates that gender differences in achievement and academic attitudes are partly explained by stereotype threat. In this study, using structural equation modeling on representative data from a sample of schoolboys in three age cohorts, we examined the associations of repeated experiences of stereotype threat and two outcome variables: language achievement and domain identification with language arts. We demonstrated that working memory and intellectual helplessness were predicted by the level of stereotype threat. Moving beyond past work, we showed that the indirect effect explaining domain identification through intellectual helplessness was significant in older cohorts. Additionally, the indirect effect linking stereotype threat and language achievement through working memory was not significant in the oldest cohort. In this group, language identification significantly predicted language achievement. These results offer a tentative support of our prediction about a cumulative effect of stereotype threat on domain identification. The present study enriches a small but growing body of literature examining stereotype threat in male samples. Moreover, it identifies a new mediational path by which stereotype threat may be translated into lower domain identification and in turn lower language achievement.

Women and \u2018the philosophical personality\u2019: evaluating whether gender differences in the Cognitive Reflection Test have significance for explaining the gender gap in Philosophy

The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) is purported to test our inclination to overcome impulsive, intuitive thought with effortful, rational reflection. Research suggests that philosophers tend to perform better on this test than non-philosophers, and that men tend to perform better than women. Taken together, these findings could be interpreted as partially explaining the gender gap that exists in Philosophy: there are fewer women in Philosophy because women are less likely to possess the ideal ‘philosophical personality’. If this explanation for the gender gap in Philosophy is accepted, it might be seen to exonerate Philosophy departments of the need to put in place much-needed strategies for promoting gender diversity. This paper discusses a number of reasons for thinking that this would be the wrong conclusion to draw from the research. Firstly, the CRT may not track what it is claimed it tracks. Secondly, the trait tracked by the CRT may not be something that we should value in philosophers. Thirdly, even if we accept that the CRT tracks a trait that has value, this trait might be of limited importance to good philosophising. Lastly, the causal story linking the gender gap in CRT score and the gender gap in Philosophy is likely to be far more complex than this explanation implies.

Are there gender differences in cognitive reflection? Invariance and differences related to mathematics

ABSTRACTCognitive reflection is recognized as an important skill, which is necessary for making advantageous decisions. Even though gender differences in the Cognitive Reflection test (CRT) appear to be robust across multiple studies, little research has examined the source of the gender gap in performance. In Study 1, we tested the invariance of the scale across genders. In Study 2, we investigated the role of math anxiety, mathematical reasoning, and gender in CRT performance. The results attested the measurement equivalence of the Cognitive Reflection Test – Long (CRT- L), when administered to male and female students. Additionally, the results of the mediation analysis showed an indirect effect of gender on CRT-L performance through mathematical reasoning and math anxiety. The direct effect of gender was no longer statistically significant after accounting for the other variables. The current findings suggest that cognitive reflection is affected by numerical skills and related feelings.

Gender Differences in Test Anxiety and Their Impact on Higher Education Students’ Academic Achievement

Abstract Test anxiety has detrimental effects on the academic performance of many university students. Moreover, female students usually report higher levels of test anxiety than do their male peers. The present study examined gender differences in test, trait, and math anxiety among university students, as well as differences in their academic achievement. Participants were 168 students from the University of Barcelona, all of whom completed measures of test anxiety, math anxiety, and trait anxiety. They were also asked about their expected level of anxiety when faced with four specific test situations: multiple-choice, open-question, oral presentation, and an exam involving calculations. At the end of the course in which they were enrolled, students were assessed through a multiple-choice and an open-question exam. Compared with their male counterparts, female students reported higher levels of test, math, and trait anxiety, as well as greater expected anxiety in three of the four test situations considered. However, females did not show lower academic achievement than male students in either the open-question or the multiple-choice exams. These results are discussed in terms of gender differences in socialization patterns and coping styles.

Correlates of Science Concept Acquisition: Foundations for Better Doctors, Engineers, and Scientists

AbstractBackground: School prepare students for successful professional careers. Evidence indicates that the quality of science education in schools is deteriorating andstudents may not bedeveloping the conceptual understanding of science required for success in later life. This may be one of the causesofdearth of research scientists in the country.Objective: The present study was conducted to study science concept acquisition and related variables in secondary school students in Punjab Province.Method: A survey was conducted involving a purposive sample of 720 male and female students of class 9 in both science and humanities groups in public sector schools in six districts of Punjab covering the centralsouthern and northern region of the province. The Science Concept Acquisition Test and a self constructed questionnaire were used for data collection.Results: The findings of this study revealed that variables like class size, teaching methodology, academic group and city were important in the performance of students in science. The study also yielded gender differences in test scores.Conclusion: It is suggested that the school authorites and all stakeholdersneed to take steps to improve the quality and learning outcome of science education in Pakistan.

Age and Gender Differences in the Step Test with Stipulated Tempos

This study examined differences in tempos of a step test with a stipulated tempo by age levels and gender. Subjects were 316 healthy males and females in the age range of 10 - 80 years. They performed the step test twice for 20 seconds, stepping alternately while a beeping metronome was adjusted to 40 bpm, 60 bpm, and 120 bpm. It was assumed that if the total time discrepancy between the tempos when the foot was grounded was small, people could adjust their steps to different tempos well. The results of a three-way ANOVA showed a significant age difference at 40 bpm. A multiple comparison showed that the total time discrepancy was smaller in 10 - 50 years old than in 60 - 80 years old in males and females. The total time discrepancy at 40 bpm was larger than that at 120 bpm in 10 - 50 years old, and larger in the order of 40, 60, and 120 bpm in 60 - 80 years old. The total time discrepancy showed insignificant gender differences at all ages and tempos. In conclusion, people over 60 years were less able to adjust their steps to a slow tempo than people younger than 50 years. Further, it was more difficult for people under 60 years to adjust their steps to a slower tempo, and a difference in tempos in people over 70 years largely affected their step movements.

Gender Differences in Students’ Performance in History at Senior High Schools in Cape Coast

Gender differences in scholastic achievement test as a function of method of measurement were examined by comparing the performance of male and female history students in three senior high schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis on essay and multiple-choice test items. The T-test for testing difference in means of two samples was used for the analysis. Female students performed significantly better than male students on essay test items. However, there was no statistical difference on multiple-choice items between females and males. It is clear that female students do not have any problem with examination forms, they perform better in all forms of examination. Therefore, it is suggested that ideally the most appropriate test-type for examinations is the multiple-choice test as it favours both genders. Nonetheless, the essay type of examination has its own merits.

Gender differences in the liver micronucleus test in rats with partial hepatectomy

The liver micronucleus test in rats with partial hepatectomy is a useful method to detect pro-clastogens such as diethylnitrosamine, the active metabolites of which do not reach the bone marrow due to their short lifespan. We have already reported that structural or numerical chromosome aberration inducers should be given before or after partial hepatectomy, respectively, to detect genotoxicity in the liver of rats. In the present study, we found that the percentage of binucleated cells in the liver from naive male rats is approximately 60% of that in female rats, which suggests a gender difference in the response to chromosome aberration inducers. Therefore, we investigated the responses to structural chromosome aberration inducers (diethylnitrosamine and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine) and numerical chromosome aberration inducers (colchicine and carbendazim) in male and female rats. The chemicals were given to 8-week-old male and female F344 rats a day before or after partial hepatectomy and hepatocytes were isolated 4 days after the partial hepatectomy. As the results, diethylnitrosamine and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine produced a significant increase in the frequency of micronucleated hepatocytes in both genders and the responses were comparable. In the case of colchicine and carbendazim, higher frequencies in the micronucleated hepatocytes were obtained in males than in females. Taken together, the response to chromosome aberration inducers in male rats was equal to or stronger than that in female rats. It seems that the use of only male rats in the liver micronucleus test is sufficient, unless existing data indicate a toxicologically meaningful gender difference in rats.

Chair-rising and 3-min walk: A simple screening test for functional mobility

Aging induces decrease of locomotor capacity and its decrease is associated with an increased risk of falls. Several lines of evidence indicate that both change in muscle power and aerobic fitness are causative. Mobility tests are usually based on a maximal exercise stress test; however, this test is often difficult and sometimes frightening to older persons. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine age and gender differences in 3-min walk distance test (3WDT), and time of chair-rising test (CRT) of functional mobility. 153 men and 159 women aged from 20 to 78 years were recruited as subjects of the present study. The body composition measured the height, body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI), lean tissue mass (LTM), and waist circumference (WC). The Functional mobility tests measured the peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), 3WDT, leg extension strength (LES), and times of CRT. Both in men and women, height and BMI, WC decreased and increased, respectively, with age. Height, BM, LTM, WC in men are higher than in women. We found no correlation between ages and 3WDT in women and a significant, negative correlation in men. All parameters of fitness performance were negatively correlated with age. Both in men and women, all parameters of fitness performance were positively correlated with sex. Both in men and women, VO2peak, 3WDT, and LES decreased with age. All parameters of fitness performance in men are higher than in women. Both in men and women were observed for the correlation between 3WDT and VO2peak, LES and CRT respectively. Although as the correlation coefficient between 3WTD and VO2peak, LES and CRT were low (r = 0.28 - 0.38), an error may occur, this study shows that 3WDT and CRT test can be a feasible method of providing the information for muscle power and aerobic fitness, possibly avoiding the need for a maximal stress test.

Gender Differences in the Mental Rotations Test Are Partly Explained by Response Format

Gender differences in the Mental Rotations Test ( Vandenberg & Kuse, 1978 ) are larger than in virtually all other spatial tests and have been highly robust over decades. Several possible explanations for this phenomenon have been proposed. This research tests the hypothesis that the gender differences are partly due to the response format of the MRT (two out of four responses correct in each item). This format, in combination with the high time pressure of the MRT, may be particularly conducive to the performance of highly confident (i.e., frequently male) participants who use “quick-and-dirty” response strategies. In study of 288 students, a new MRT version was used in which a variable number of 0 to 4 alternatives per item were correct. Gender differences were significantly smaller than in the standard MRT. In particular, the performance of highly confident male participants was markedly lower than in the standard MRT.

New Approaches to Studying Individual Differences in Spatial Abilities

EditorialNew Approaches to Studying Individual Differences in Spatial AbilitiesJudith Glück, Claudia Quaiser-Pohl, and Aljoscha C. NeubauerJudith Glück Department of Psychology, Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt, Austria Search for more papers by this author, Claudia Quaiser-Pohl University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Koblenz, Germany Search for more papers by this author, and Aljoscha C. Neubauer Department of Psychology, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Austria Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:May 12, 2010https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000025PDFView Full Text ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit SectionsMoreReference Battista, C. , Peters, M. (2010). Ecological aspects of mental rotation around the vertical and horizontal axis. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 110–113. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Contreras, M.J., Rubio, V.J. , Peña, D. , Santacreu, J. (2010). On the robustness of solution strategy classifications: Testing the stability of dynamic spatial tasks on a one-year test-retest basis. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 68–73. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Glück, J. , Fabrizii, C. (2010). Gender differences in the Mental Rotations Test are partly explained by response format. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 106–109. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Jordan, K. , & Wüstenberg, T. (2010). The neural network of spatial cognition and its modulation by biological and environmental factors. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 83–90. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Lange, L.F., Heil, M. , Jansen, P. (2010). Does children’s left hemisphere lateralization during mental rotation depend upon the stimulus material? Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 91–94. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Neidhardt, E. , Popp, M. (2010). Spatial tests, familiarity with the surroundings, and spatial activity experience. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 59–63. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Peter, M. , Glück, J. , Beiglböck, W. (2010). Map understanding as a developmental marker in childhood. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 64–67. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Quaiser-Pohl, C., Rohe, A.M. , Amberger, T. (2010). The solution strategy as an indicator of the developmental stage of preschool children’s mental-rotation ability. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 95–100. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Schoenfeld, R., Lehmann, W. , Leplow, B. (2010). Effects of age and sex in mental rotation and spatial learning from virtual environments. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 78–82. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Strasser, I., Koller, I. , Strauß, S., Csisinko, M. , Kaufmann, H. , Glück, J. (2010). Use of strategy in a 3-dimensional spatial ability test. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 74–77. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Titze, C. , Heil, M. , & Jansen, P. (2010). Pairwise presentation of cube figures does not reduce gender differences in mental rotation performance. Journal of Individual Differences, 31, 101–105. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Voyer, D. , Voyer, S. , & Bryden, M.P. (1995). Magnitude of sex differences in spatial abilities: A meta-analysis and consideration of critical variables. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 250–270. First citation in articleCrossref, Google ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byIranian-Islamic Wisdom Scale (IIWS): Conceptualization, Development and Validation in Iranian Culture1 November 2022 | Iranian Evolutionary and Educational Psychology, Vol. 4, No. 4Charting the Diversity of Strategic Processes in Visuospatial Short-Term Memory13 October 2020 | Perspectives on Psychological Science, Vol. 16, No. 2On gender differences in mental rotation processing speedLearning and Individual Differences, Vol. 29 Volume 31Issue 2May 2010ISSN: 1614-0001eISSN: 2151-2299 InformationJournal of Individual Differences (2010), 31, pp. 57-58 https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000025.© 2010Hogrefe PublishingPDF download

Gender, Internal Controls, and Academic Dishonesty: Investigating Mediating and Differential Effects

While research has found that males tend to commit more academically dishonest acts than females, we know little about what accounts for the gender differential or whether the same factors can explain academic dishonesty for males and females. This study assesses how internal controls, i.e., self‐control, shame, embarrassment, and moral beliefs, account for the relationship between gender and cheating behavior. Using a sample of students from a southern university in the United States, this study explores three questions. First, do internal controls vary across males and females? Second, can internal controls account for gender differences in test cheating? Third, do internal controls differentially or similarly predict test cheating for males and females? Results show that (a) gender differences among several internal controls as well as cheating behavior, (b) internal controls reduce the gender gap but cannot completely explain why gender differences exist in cheating, and (c) two internal controls, self‐control and moral beliefs, differentially predict male and female test cheating. We discuss limitations of our findings and how research can expand the investigation of gender differences and explanations for engaging in academically dishonest acts.

Gender Differences in the Mental Rotations Test (MRT) Are Not Due to Task Complexity

Gender differences are one of the main topics in mental rotation research. This paper focuses on the influence of the performance factor task complexity by using two versions of the Mental Rotations Test (MRT). Some 300 participants completed the test without time constraints, either in the regular version or with a complexity reducing template creating successive two-alternative forced-choice tasks. Results showed that the complexity manipulation did not affect the gender differences at all. These results were supported by a sufficient power to detect medium effects. Although performance factors seem to play a role in solving mental rotation problems, we conclude that the variation of task complexity as realized in the present study did not.

Gender differences in the Swedish driving-license test

Introduction Male drivers between 18–24 years are involved in many more motor-vehicle accidents than female drivers in Sweden. Is there also a gender difference in test performance in the Swedish driving-license tests? Is it a real difference or do any of the items display differential item functioning (DIF) with respect to gender or educational background? Method Two random samples of test-takers' performance on the Swedish theory driving-license test were examined with descriptive and inference statistics. Results Female test-takers performed better than male test-takers on the theory test, which is a real difference since no items displayed DIF with respect to gender. There was no gender difference in the practical test. The gender difference in the theory test could not be fully explained by differences in educational background. Conclusions Although everyone who passes the driving-license test has fulfilled the goals stated in the curriculum, it is possible that the gender differences in the theory test are consistent over time, and therefore might be one factor that explains why male drivers are over-represented in traffic accidents. Impact on Industry Gender differences appear persistent over time. Therefore, by improving male test takers' result on the test may lead to positive effects on the male test takers future driving career.

Neuropsychological testing of high school athletes: Preliminary norms and test–retest indices

This study provides preliminary norms and test–retest indices on a brief battery of neuropsychological tests administered to a sample of 60 male and 40 female high school athletes. Forty-eight subjects completed retesting 8 weeks later. Analyses of baseline scores indicate that girls outperform boys on selected measures of processing speed and executive functions [Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—III (WAIS-III) Digit Symbol, Trails B, and Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT)]. Test–retest reliability was low and varied widely among the tests. There were no gender differences in test–retest reliability. Reliable Change Indices (RCIs) were computed on the test–retest data for use in clinical interpretation. These preliminary results indicate that caution should be used in interpreting neuropsychological test data from high school athletes. The current findings indicate that separate norms for boys and girls are warranted. Caution should be used in interpreting discrepancies from baseline scores as a result of what may turn out to be poor test–retest reliability in this population.

Dimensions of performance in the interpretation of diagrams, tables, and maps: Some gender differences in the Swedish scholastic aptitude test

The aim of the present study was to investigate the various dimensions underlying performance on the diagrams, tables, maps subtest of the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test. Data from two test versions were analyzed using a structural equation modeling technique on 14,463 and 19,636 examinees, respectively. Two alternative three-factor models containing (a) a general factor influencing all items, (b) a quantitative factor, and (c) either an end of test or complexity factor were identified. On the basis of the results, it may tentatively be concluded that the gender difference in performance of the test in favor of males is due to a great extent to the quantitative factor. An end of test effect seems indisputable, although this effect may be explained by an increasing difficulty of test items rather than, or in addition to, sheer speed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 565–582, 1999

Gender differences in Scholastic Aptitude Test: Mathematics problem solving among high-ability students.

Gender differences in Scholastic Aptitude Test: Mathematics problem solving among high-ability students.