You have full access to this open access article. Research has shown that differences between males and females are not in general intelligence, but only in some specific factors and tasks. In doing so we used a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis approach. Results confirmed that males and females perform similarly in general intelligence, but present with some specificities.
Males perform better on some, but not all, tasks requiring the spatial manipulation of the stimuli, but females consistently outperform males in tasks such as the nonverbal Stroop, requiring inhibition and attention control to a larger extent. The clinical and practical implications of our findings are considerable.
The identification of specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses in males and females underscores the importance of tailored approaches in clinical assessments and interventions. Differences between males and females in cognitive abilities have been repeatedly investigated.
Though there has been some debate, several batteries have been used to evaluate differences in intelligence between males and females, with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children WISC being the most widely used. For example, a difference favoring females was found in the coding subtest, which is a measure of the processing speed and requires writing symbols associated with other stimuli as soon as possible. However, it is essential to consider that the specific battery used might influence these differences.
Therefore, confirming these findings with alternative batteries is crucial. This phenomenon may arise as a consequence of the construction of the IQ tests Mackintosh , p. It can be argued that an assessment of intelligence, predominantly reliant on language, may influence the evaluation of differences between males and females in intelligence. For example, the WISC-IV heavily relies on verbal instructions, features numerous verbal subtests, and assesses working memory only using alphanumerical materials.
