Consistencies in sex differences on the Cognitive Abilities Test across countries, grades, test forms, and cohorts.
BACKGROUND
Strand, Deary, and Smith (2006) reported an analysis of sex differences on the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) for over 320,000 UK students 11-12 years old. Although mean differences were small, males were overrepresented at the upper and lower extremes of the score distributions on the quantitative and non-verbal batteries and at the lower extreme of the verbal battery.


OBJECTIVE
We investigate whether these results were unique to the UK or whether they would be seen in other countries, at other grades, cohorts, or forms of the test.


METHODS
The sample consisted of three nationally representative cohorts of US students in grades 3 through 11 (total N=318,599) for the 1984, 1992, and 2000 standardizations of the US version of the CAT.


METHODS
We replicated and extended the Strand et al. (2006) results by comparing the proportions of males and females at each score level across countries (UK vs. US), grades (3-11), and cohorts/test forms (Forms 4, 5, and 6 standardized in 1984, 1992, and 2000, respectively).


RESULTS
The results showed an astonishing consistency in sex differences across countries, grades, cohorts, and test forms.


CONCLUSIONS
Implications for the current debate about sex differences in quantitative reasoning abilities are discussed.
Lohman
David F
DF
Belin-Blank Center and Iowa Testing Programs, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1529, USA. david-lohman@uiowa.edu
Lakin
Joni M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001076:Aptitude; D001077:Aptitude Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003210:Concept Formation; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D011340:Problem Solving; D011594:Psychometrics; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States