Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities: 3rd Edition

by Halpern, Diane F.

• ISBN13: 9780805827910
• ISBN10: 0805827919
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-02-01
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbau

Summary

In the third edition of her popular text,Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities,Diane Halpern tackles fundamental questions about the meaning of sex differences in cognition and why people are so afraid of the differences. She provides a comprehensive context for understanding the theories and research on this controversial topic. The author employs the psychobiosocial model of cognition to negotiate a cease fire on the nature-nurture wars and offers a more holistic and integrative conceptualization of the forces that make people unique. This new edition reflects the explosion of theories and research in the area over the past several years. New techniques for peering into the human brain have changed the nature of the questions being asked and the kinds of answers that can be expected. There have been surprising new findings on the influence of sex hormones on cognitive abilities across the life span, as well as an increasing number of studies examining how attention paid to category variables such as one's sex, race, or age affects unconscious and automatic cognitive processes. Written in a clear, engaging style, this new edition takes a refreshing look at the science and politics of cognitive sex differences. Although it is a comprehensive and up-to-date synthesis of scientific theory and research into how, why, when, and to what extent females and males differ in intellectual abilities, it conveys complex ideas and interrelationships among variables in an engrossing and understandable manner, bridging the gap between sensationalized 'pop' literature and highly technical scientific journals. Halpern's thought-provoking perspectives on this controversial topic will be of interest to students and professionals alike. [features used for book mailer] FEATURES: *Includes new information about sex differences and similarities in the brain, the role of sex hormones on cognition (including exciting new work on hormone replacement therapy during menopause), new perspectives from evolutionary psychology, the way stereotypes and other group-based expectations unconsciously and automatically influence thought, the influence of pervasive sex-differentiated child rearing and other sex role effects, and understanding how research is conducted and interpreted. *Takes a cognitive process approach that examines similarities and differences in visuospatial working memory, verbal working memory, long-term acquisition and retrieval, sensation and perception, and other stages in information processing. *Provides a developmental analysis of sex differences and similarities in cognition extending from the early prenatal phase into very old age. *Tackles both political and scientific issues and explains how they influence each other--readers are warned that science is not value-free. *Uses cross-cultural data and warns readers about the limitations on conclusions that have not been assessed in multiple cultures. *Includes many new figures and tables that summarize complex issues and provide section reviews. It is a beautifully written book by a master teacher who really cares about presenting a clear and honest picture of contemporary psychology's most politicized topic.

Author Biography

Diane F. Haipern is Professor of Psychology at California State University, San Bernardino.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Third Edition	xi
Preface to the Second Edition	xv
Preface to Volume 1	xvii
Introduction and Overview	1	(34)
A Hot Issue in Contemporary Psychology	3	(5)
Theoretical Approaches	8	(8)
Psychobiosocial Hypotheses	16	(2)
The Notion of Cognitive Abilities	18	(5)
Values and Science	23	(4)
Political and Social Ramifications	27	(3)
Terminology	30	(2)
Selective Nature of All Reviews	32	(1)
About This Book	33	(2)
Searching for Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities	35	(44)
The Need for Research	37	(2)
Types of Research Investigations	39	(8)
Validity, Fairness, and Bias	47	(1)
Understanding Research Results	48	(13)
Statistical and Practical Significance	61	(13)
Developmental Issues	74	(1)
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies	75	(1)
Evaluating Research Claims	76	(3)
Empirical Evidence for Cognitive Sex Differences	79	(52)
Intelligence	81	(4)
The When, Where, Who, and How of Differences	85	(2)
Perceptual and Motor Skills	87	(3)
A Cognitive Abilities Approach	90	(2)
Memory	92	(1)
Verbal Abilities	93	(5)
Visual-Spatial Abilities	98	(14)
Quantitative Abilities	112	(5)
Relationship Between Visual-Spatial Abilities and Quantitative Abilities	117	(2)
Thinking About the Magnitude of the Differences	119	(2)
Cross-Cultural Comparisons	121	(2)
Underlying Cognitive Processes	123	(1)
Are Sex Differences Decreasing?	123	(5)
Similarities	128	(1)
Chapter Summary	128	(3)
Biological Hypotheses Part I: Genes And Hormones	131	(52)
The Notion of Biological Determination	134	(4)
Behavioral Genetics	138	(12)
Sex Hormones	150	(29)
Chapter Summary	179	(4)
Biological Hypotheses Part II: Brains, Evolutionary Pressures, And Brain-Behavior Relationships	183	(46)
A Brief Introduction to the Brain	185	(7)
Cognitive Neuroscience: Brain-Behavior Relationships	192	(1)
The Sexually Dimorphic Brain	193	(7)
Sexual Dimorphism in Hemispheric Specialization	200	(16)
Sex Differences Within Each Cerebral Hemisphere	216	(2)
Evolutionary Pressures	218	(1)
Sexual Orientation and the Brain	219	(2)
Critique of Biological Hypotheses	221	(4)
Chapter Summary	225	(4)
Psychosocial Hypotheses Part I: Sex Role Stereotypes Through The Life Span	229	(48)
Gender as a Social Construction	231	(6)
Sex Roles and Sex Role Stereotypes	237	(9)
How Stereotypes Direct and Reflect Reality	246	(5)
Sex-Linked Socialization Practices Through the Life Span	251	(23)
Chapter Summary	274	(3)
Psychosocial Hypotheses Part II: Theoretical Perspectives for Understanding the Role of Psychosocial Variables	277	(36)
A Theory of Theories	280	(1)
The Psychoanalytic Perspective	281	(2)
Learning Theories	283	(4)
Social Learning Theory	287	(2)
Expectancies-Values-Motives	289	(6)
Bent Twigs	295	(2)
Social Ecology	297	(2)
Cognitive Schema Theory	299	(3)
Performance and Strategy Variables	302	(4)
A Comparison of the Theories	306	(1)
Chapter Summary	307	(6)
Using a Psychobiosocial Perspective to Understand Cognitive Sex Differences	313	(22)
Myopia USA	315	(8)
Changing Data, Changing Minds	323	(3)
A Psychobiosocial Perspective	326	(3)
Into the Future	329	(6)
References	335	(42)
Author Index	377	(16)
Subject Index	393