Here is an interesting discussion and debate between 2 experts in the field on sex differences.
Cordelia Fine in her book Delusions of Gender [1] reports even something as simple as telling girls before a maths test that this is a test in which girls have done well results in dramatically higher scores suggesting the field is still in its infancy and fundamental questions about gender roles and culture remain.
Simon Baron-Cohen is also well known in the field for his work on autism and stands on the ‘essentialist’ side of gender differences and as readers will note in his review [2] of Cordelia Fine’s book and the ensuing 3 part debate [3] [4] [5] with her that there are far too many important new questions raised and many that remain unresolved.
Everything from past studies, preconceptions, cultural bias, data, methodology to conclusions remain in question leaving very little room to draw any kind of conclusions.
In light of this perhaps its best to leave the field of sex differences to experts who continue to study but do not have the answers or data to draw any conclusions.
> Cordelia Fine in her book Delusions of Gender [1] reports even something as simple as telling girls before a maths test that this is a test in which girls have done well results in dramatically higher scores suggesting the field is still in its infancy and fundamental questions about gender roles and culture remain.
This is called stereotype bias, and it's recently been debunked because replications have almost all failed.
> ...perhaps its best to leave the field of sex differences to experts who continue to study but do not have the answers or data to draw any conclusions.
A difficulty here is the substantial liberal bias in social sciences[1]. How can we avoid it affecting the outcomes of their studies?
Cordelia Fine in her book Delusions of Gender [1] reports even something as simple as telling girls before a maths test that this is a test in which girls have done well results in dramatically higher scores suggesting the field is still in its infancy and fundamental questions about gender roles and culture remain.
Simon Baron-Cohen is also well known in the field for his work on autism and stands on the ‘essentialist’ side of gender differences and as readers will note in his review [2] of Cordelia Fine’s book and the ensuing 3 part debate [3] [4] [5] with her that there are far too many important new questions raised and many that remain unresolved.
Everything from past studies, preconceptions, cultural bias, data, methodology to conclusions remain in question leaving very little room to draw any kind of conclusions.
In light of this perhaps its best to leave the field of sex differences to experts who continue to study but do not have the answers or data to draw any conclusions.
[1] https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-23/edition-11/batt...
[2] https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-23/edition-11/book...
[3] http://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-23/edition-12/forum
[4] http://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-24/edition-1/letter...
[5] http://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-24/edition-2/letter...