title: Sex differences in visual recognition memory: support for a sex-related difference in attention in adults and children.
abstract: The selectivity hypothesis of Meyers-Levy (1989) proposes that cognitive sex differences reflect underlying differences in information processing between males and females. Males are considered to be more likely to organize information in a self-related manner, whereas females are more likely to adopt a comprehensive approach to information processing. We tested this hypothesis in children (10-15 years) and adults using recognition memory tasks. Tests were devised which employed male-oriented objects, female oriented objects, or random objects. In both the child and adult samples, females performed significantly better than males on tests using random and female-oriented objects. Males performed at the level of females only when tested for recognition of male-oriented objects. These results demonstrate that this sex difference is present prior to puberty and support the concept of sex differences in information processing.
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, CA, USA. McGivern@sunstroke.sdsu.edu
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: McGivern
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Huston
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Siegle
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reilly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011897:Random Allocation; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D014796:Visual Perception