Gender Differences in

Cognitive Development and

Behavior
5.8.14
Bell Ringer
Read the Good Wife handout you picked up on
your way in. On the back of that handout
write a three sentence reflection. Do you
think attitudes in terms of Gender
Roles are progressing? Why
or why not?
Differences between Men and Women
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus?
Men and women differ in all areas of their
lives. Not only do men and women
communicate differently but they think, feel,
perceive, react, respond, love, need, and
appreciate differently.
-John Gray, Men are
from Mars, Women are from Venus
Are Differences Disabilities?
No!

Differences are not deficiencies!
It is okay that genders are different from one
another!
Are Differences Disabilities?
Do some people believe this?

Yes, but we are working to fix this-

Title IX
Cognitive Differences
Verbal, Reading and Writing Skills
- Women consistently score much
higher than males on tests of verbal
fluency, reading
comprehension, spelling and
writing skills.




Cognitive Differences

Spatial Skills
- Males outscore females on some, but not
all, tests of spatial skills.
-Men are better at rotating objects
-Women are better at remembering the
location of objects.

Cognitive Differences

Math Skills
- On average, males do slightly better than
females on advanced mathematical ability.
(Think Trig)
Personality Difference
For most characteristics there are no
significant differences between men and
women.
Two places men and women do differ:
Generally women are more nurturant than
men, and men are more assertive than
women.


Personality Difference
According to Alice Eagly:
In general, women tend to manifest
behaviors that can be described as socially
sensitive, friendly, and concerned with
others welfare, whereas men tend to
manifest behaviors that can be described as
dominant, controlling and
independent.
Sexual Behavior
No significant differences between men and
women in measures of sexual satisfaction or
incidence of oral sex.


Gender Differences
Remember -

Differences NOT Disabilities