The Gender Difference
The physical, emotional, and mental differences between males and females.
Male brain has 3 1/2 billion more brain cells than the female brain
In the following 12 subjects, no country (oops, correction per James Powell ) scored lower than American 12th Grade Girls who scored:
22 points lower than American boys and 90 points lower than Greek girls in Numbers & Equations.
41 points lower than American boys and 123 points lower than Cypriot girls in Calculus.
31 points lower than American boys and 121 points lower than French girls in Geometry.
34 points lower than American boys and 139 points lower than Norwegian girls in Physics.
53 points lower than American boys and 130 points lower than Norwegian girls in Mechanics.
21 points lower than American boys and 152 points lower than Swedish girls in Electricity & Magnetism.
6 points lower than American boys and 37 points lower than Norwegian girls in Heat.
18 points lower than American boys and 86 points lower than Swedish girls in Wave Phenomena.
20 points lower than American boys and 92 points lower than Swedish girls in Modern Physics.
31 points lower than American boys and 117 points lower than French girls in Advanced Math.
23 points lower than American boys and 65 points lower than Swedish girls in General Science.
11 points lower than American boys and 77 points lower than Dutch girls in General Math.
This study analyzed data from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) taken between 1977 and 1988 to study trends in the numbers, test scores, and other characteristics of high school seniors planning to major in math, science, or engineering, and to compare t hese data with comparable data from examinees planning to major in other fields. Results indicated that: (1) the total test-taking population declined in number until 1983 and has since been increasing; (2) the percentage of examinees who planned to major in math, science, or engineering increased from 24% to 29% of the examinee population; (3) in 1988 examinees planning to major in math, science, or engineering obtained a mean verbal score 18 points higher and a mean mathematics score 31 points higher th an the population average; (4) among students planning to major in math, science, or engineering, the mean mathematics score declined until 1981, increased until 1985, and declined thereafter; (5) among examinees who identify themselves as white and who p lan to major in math, science, or engineering, there has been a differences of nearly a standard deviation between the mean mathematics scores of males and females; sex differences were not as great among black examinees; and (6) among examinees who ident ified themselves as black and who plan to major in math, science, or engineering, the mean mathematics score for males rose 18 points, and the mean for females rose 20 points. Appendices include Student Descriptive Questionnaires and definitions of major field categories in Science and Non-Science Tables. (MKR)
Percent or factor by which males exceed females.
Males | Females | Factor | |
Height (cm) | 176.8 | 163.7 | +8% |
Weight (lbs) | 163 | 127 | +28% |
Life Expectancy | 70.3 | 77.9 | -10.8% |
Abortions | 0 | 1,600,000 | 0 |
Suicides | 18.6 | 6 | +200% |
Vietnam Casualties | 58,151 | 76 | +763X |
Accidental Deaths | 74,403 | 30,909 | +2.4X |
1982 Arrests | 6,464,604 | 1,289,373 | +5X |
Child Murders (excl SIDS) | 500 | 611 | -22.2% |
% of World Chess Champs | 100% | 0% | infinity |
SAT Math Scores | 502 | 457 | +9.8% |
Average # Brain Cells | 22.8 Billion | 19.3 Billion | +18.1% |
Death Rates/100K--Cancer | 221 | 191 | +15.7% |
Heart Disease | 284 | 279 | +1.8% |
Accidents & Violence | 81 | 32 | +2.5X |
Auto Deaths | 23 | 11 | +2X |
Homicides | 9 | 2.8 | +3.2X |
Firearm Injuries | 26 | 4 | +6.5X |
Drugs | 7 | 3 | +2.3X |
Alcohol | 11 | 3 | +3.7X |
Deaths Per Year | 1,163,000 | 1,116,000 | +4.2% |
As affirmative action and other anti-productivity federal schemes have taken effect, both SAT and ACT scores have declined, and the gender gap in mathematics widened, from 17.6% in 1967 to 18.1% in 1989 on SAT Math, and from 12.2% to 13.7% on ACT M ath.
SAT Math | 1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1989 | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male | 529 | 520 | 509 | 495 | 491 | 499 | 500 | -29 points |
Female | 485 | 476 | 465 | 449 | 443 | 452 | 454 | -31 points |
Percent Difference | 15.44% | 15.94% | 16.60% | 18.47% | 19.75% | 18.65% | 18.11% |
Percent by which males scored higher than females averaged 17.65% over the last 3 decades. Source: College Entrance Examination Board, New York
College Grade Number of Number of Percent Percent Men Women SAT range Men Women (Men) (Women) (592 & up) 5,693 0 22.0% 0% A (575-591) 7,357 0 28.4% 0% B (549-574) 6,931 5,144 26.8% 24.5% C A (532-548) 2,881 6,383 11.1% 30.4% D B (524-531) 3,030 0 11.7% 0% F (493-523) 0 5,394 0% 25.7% C (476-492) 0 2,235 0% 10.6% D (475 & Below) 0 1,872 0% 8.9% F 1) 50.4% of the men scored higher than the highest scoring women. 2) 68% of the men scored higher than the highest women. 3) 64.5% of the women scored lower than men who got "D"s. 4) And that 45.2% of the women scored lower than all of the men. 5) Percent of women in the men's "A" range = 0%. 6) Percent of women in the men's "B" range = 0%. 7) Percent of women in the men's "C" range = 24.5%. 8) Percent of women in the men's "D" range = 30.4%. 9) Percent of women in the men's "F" range = 0%.
ACT Math | 1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1989 | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male | 24.5 | 22.3 | 19.3 | 18.9 | 18.9 | 18.6 | 18.3 | -25.3% |
Female | 22.7 | 20.6 | 16.2 | 16.2 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.1 | -29.1% |
Difference | 7.9% | 12.2% | 19.14% | 16.67% | 18.12% | 16.25% | 13.66% |
Percent by which males scored higher than females averaged 14.84% over
the last 3 decades. Source: The American College Testing Program. Note: the narrowing in
the gap from 19.14% in 1970 to 13.66% in 1989 is the result of declining male scores
rather than increasing female scores, indicating that narrowing the gap even further
requires decreasing male scores even further, rather than increasing female scores.
A similar psychological phenomena has affected economic performance in the US.
NOTE: Changes in 1990 in both the SAT and ACT test make an accurate
correlation with previous data impossible. The Department of Education reports that
the SAT "has increased" while ACT scores "remained flat", indicating
that the increase in SAT scores is due entirely to the changes in the test and not to any
improvement in education quality.
Even with such low numbers I think this is a pretty significant difference in scores. They barely overlap within their standard deviation. I called the GRE Board and they confirmed that there is a gender gap on the test and that white males generally score higher than women and minorities.
My own thoughts on why the gender gap exists are the following. Educational research on standardized tests have shown that women will spend more time `proving' that they have the right answer while men are more likely to `go with their gut feeling' and skip on to the next problem. Its a problem of confidence and guessing. If you don't guess on these tests and only answer the questions that you've had time to work out, there's very little chance that you will do as well as someone who is willing to guess and works through the test quickly. You don't have time to double check your work and women are more likely to do this. I know for a fact that I did not guess the first 3 times I took the Physics GRE and barely made it all the way to the end. The fourth time I studied by doing hundreds of multiple choice, learning to do them quickly and raised my score almost 200 points from my lowest score. I think the gender gap might disappear or at least narrow if the time allowed for the test was longer, or if it was fill in the blank.
There is a graduate student, Phil Bunce, getting a Masters degree in Physics Education
who is going to do his thesis on the validity of the Physics GRE and its value in Graduate
School Admissions. The primary goal of this research will be to determine if the physics
dept's use of this test at UT is valid. He's going to compare undergrad GPA, Grad GPA in
core courses with Physics GRE score for males and females for the last 5-10 years. We may
have difficulty getting a broad enough database because of the low number of women
students. If you or your school would be interested in performing a similar study or would
be interested in the results of such a study feel free to contact me. Thank you, Jennifer
Siders January 29, 1996 -- I will be getting a detailed summary of Physics GRE results
from ETS very soon and can send you a copy if you wish. What I have at the moment is the
1989-92 Volume and Score Data for the Physics GRE Test. I received this from someone who
had attended an ETS meeting. It took me a while but I found someone at ETS who knew what I
was talking about and is going to send me one directly. This way I can cite a source for
the information. :-)
Gender & Country | Percent(of test takers) | Mean Physics GRE |
---|---|---|
Male | 84 | 681 |
Female | 16 | 605 |
Difference | 425% | 18.77% |
China | 16 | 836 |
USA | 56 | 604 |
Difference | 250% | 57.43% |
I have data from a survey I did over the internet and also from 3 years worth of applicants to our Physics Dept that show a similar gap. There will be a special session at the APS/AAPT meeting May 4 on this topic where I will be presenting these results.
Annual Earnings, by Education Attainment
Total | Not High School Graduate | High School Graduate | Some College or Associate Degree | Bachelor's Degree | Advanced Degree | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | $28,448 | $14,934 | $22,978 | $25,660 | $40,039 | $58,324 |
Females | $17,145 | $9,311 | $14,128 | $16,023 | $23,991 | $33,814 |
Difference | 65.93% | 60.39% | 62.64% | 60.14% | 66.89% | 72.48% |
Percent by which males earn more than females at various education levels averages 64.75%. Source: US Dept. of Commerce.
Median Weekly Earnings of Full-Time Wage & Salary Workers.
25 yrs & older | 25 -34 | 35 -44 | 45 -54 | 55 -64 | 65Yrs & Older | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | $559 | $478 | $598 | $656 | $586 | $453 |
Females | $416 | $396 | $437 | $441 | $396 | $335 |
Difference | 34.38% | 20.71% | 36.84% | 48.75% | 47.98% | 35.22 |
Percent by which males earn more than females at various age levels averages 37.31%. Source: US Dept. of Labor
Diving | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 148.58 | 164.18 | 504.12 | 600.51 | 835.65 | 710.91 | 638.61 | 677.31 |
Females | 99.8 | 109.59 | 390 | 406.59 | 596.25 | 435.51 | 445.2 | 461.43 |
Difference | 48.88% | 49.81% | 29.26% | 47.69% | 40.15% | 63.24% | 43.44% | 46.78% |
Percent by which males score higher than females in platform diving averaged 46.16% over the last 3 decades. Source: for all Olympic scores, International Olympics Committee.
Freestyle | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 53.4 | 52.2 | 51.22 | 49.99 | 50.4 | 49.8 | 48.63 | 49.02 |
Females | 59.5 | 60 | 58.59 | 55.65 | 54.79 | 55.92 | 54.93 | 54.64 |
Difference | 10.25% | 13.00% | 12.58% | 10.17% | 8.01% | 10.94% | 11.47% | 10.29% |
Percent by which males swim faster than females averaged 10.84% over the last 3 decades.
Pole Vault -- Olympics Scores.
Pole Vaulting | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 16' 8 3/4" | 17' 8 1/2" | 18' 1/2" | 18' 1/2" | 18' 11 1/2" | 18' 10 1/4" | 19' 9 1/4" | 19' 1/4" |
Females | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
Difference | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
There are no pole vaulting competitions for females.
Shot Put -- Olympics Scores NOTE: Males's Shot Put is 16 Pounds NOTE: Females's Shot Put is 8 Pounds -- half of the males's shot put
Shot Put | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 66.71 | 67.4 | 69.5 | 69.1 | 70 | 69.8 | 73.7 | 71.2 |
Females | 59.5 | 64.3 | 69 | 69.4 | 54.79 | 55.92 | 54.93 | 54.64 |
Difference | 12.12% | 4.82% | 0.72% | 0.43% | 27.76% | 24.82% | 34.17% | 30.31% |
Even with TWICE the weight the percent by which males scored higher than females over the last 3 decades averaged 16.89%.
1500 Meter Run -- Olympics Scores
1500 Meter Run | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 130.3 | 123.4 | 123.0 | 119.4 | 115.4 | 118.4 | 112.1 | 114.8 |
Females | 142.6 | 142.4 | 140.9 | 136.6 | 131.0 | 123.4 | 120.7 | 125.9 |
Difference | 8.63% | 13.34% | 12.70% | 12.59% | 11.91% | 4.05% | 7.13% | 8.82% |
Percent by which males run faster than females averaged 9.90% over the last 3 decades.
Springboard Diving -- Olympics Scores
Springboard Diving | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 159.9 | 170.2 | 594.1 | 619.5 | 905.0 | 754.4 | 730.8 | 676.5 |
Females | 145.0 | 150.8 | 450.0 | 506.2 | 725.9 | 530.7 | 580.2 | 572.4 |
Difference | 10.28% | 12.86% | 32.02% | 22.38% | 24.67% | 42.15% | 25.96% | 18.19% |
Percent by which males outscore females in diving averaged 23.56% over the last 3 decades
Racing Champions
NASCAR | Motorcycle | Formula One | LeMans | One-Mile Speed Record | Indy Car | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 28 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 24 | 36 |
Females | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Difference | 28 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 24 | 36 |
Number of males champions versus number of female champions
Boxing Champions Since 1882
Heavyweights | Light-Heavy Weights | Middle Weights | Welter Weights | Light Weights | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 49 | 51 | 55 | 47 | 48 |
Females | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Difference | 49 | 51 | 55 | 47 | 48 |
Number of male champions versus number of female champions
Chess Champions
World Chess Champions Since 1866 | US Chess Champions Since 1857 | |
---|---|---|
Males | 16 | 46 |
Females | 0 | 0 |
Difference | 16 | 46 |
Number of male champions versus number of female champions
Baseball Champions
Home Run Leaders | Runs In Leader | Batting Chamion | Cy Young Awards | Most Valuable Player | Rookie Of The Year | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 210 | 205 | 221 | 77 | 227 | 36 |
Females | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Difference | 210 | 205 | 221 | 77 | 227 | 36 |
Number of male champions versus number of female champions
Leading Money Winners in PGA and LPGA
Home Run Leaders | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | $1,395,278 | 1,165,477 | 979,430 | 1,344,188 | 1,478,557 | 1,499,927 |
Females | 654,132 | 863,578 | 763,118 | 693,335 | 595,992 | 687,201 |
Difference | 113% | 35% | 28% | 94% | 153% | 118% |
Percent by which the male leading money winners' earnings exceeded the female leading money winners' earnings.
The Nobel Peace Prize Awards
Awards | Nobel Prize in Physics | Nobel Prize in Chemistry | Nobel Price in Medicine | Nobel Prize in Literature | Nobel Peace Prize | Nobel Economic Science |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 152 | 137 | 103 | 91 | 102 | 36 |
Females | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
Difference | 76X | 45X | 25X | 13X | 14X | infinity |
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