Regarding gender differences in intellectual abilities,which of the following statements is TRUE?
A) Males and females do tend to differ in overall intelligence with females showing an overall higher IQ average, as a group.
B) Test items on IQ tests are selected to be equally difficult for both sexes.
C) For decades, men, as a group, performed best on items that require verbal abilities, vocabulary, and rote learning.
D) The small differences in male-female intellectual skills that remain appear to be based on a tendency for parents and educators to encourage females, more than males, to learn math and spatial skills.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Test items on IQ tests are carefully selected to be equally difficult for both sexes, in order to eliminate gender bias in testing. This means that any observed differences in average scores between males and females are likely due to factors outside of the testing itself, such as societal factors like gender norms and expectations. Option A is false, as there is little to no consistent evidence supporting the claim that one gender is inherently more intelligent than the other. Option C is also false, as modern research has shown that women actually tend to outperform men on verbal tasks, and the gap in performance on math and spatial tasks has been shrinking in recent years. Option D contains some truth, as there is some evidence that societal attitudes and cultural messages may play a role in influencing the development of certain intellectual abilities in males and females. However, it is important to note that this is a complex issue with a variety of factors at play, and it is unlikely that any one explanation can fully account for gender differences in intellectual abilities.

Regarding Gender Differences in Intellectual Abilities,which of the Following Statements