banner
You are not using a standards compliant browser. Because of this you may notice minor glitches in the rendering of this page. Please upgrade to a compliant browser for optimal viewing:
Firefox
Internet Explorer 7
Safari (Mac and PC)
Press Release
Major new study examines explanations for math 'gender gap'


Thanks to American Mathematical Society for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.



This press release has been viewed 1848 time(s).

Comments

cbjones1943
Maps and Phenogroups (MAP)
Rate Post:

Like 0 Dislike
Tue, Dec 13, 2011, 1:58 pm CST

cbjones1943
Maps and Phenogroups (MAP)
Rate Post:

Like 0 Dislike
Tue, Dec 13, 2011, 2:17 pm CST

1. My comments are not intended to challenge what is obviously an important and interesting study.

2. I think I recall that in countries where women excel in math = to or > men (Scandinavia, Russia, France?) and/or where females are represented in math-based fields (physics) at a higher percentage than men (Russia), women are, nonetheless, less likely to occupy the more theoretical aspects of these fields (e.g. theoretical physics).

3. The "greater male variability hypothesis" is a fundamental, controvertial issue in genetics that can be traced back at least to I.M. Lerner 1970 Dover Pub. NY. This H is not, per se, that males exhibit > trait variability compared to females but, rather, that females are more canalized (buffered genetically from environmental or other perturbations) than males (also see T.W. Schoener 1971 Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 2). Whether or not Lerner's results for Drosophila (and more recent studies) are applicable across species (e.g. applicable to humans) is still debated. 

Add Comment?
Comments are closed 2 weeks after initial post.
Friends