Are men smarter?

Mary Varnell, Knoxville, TN — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 03:09:22 GMT

I think that the argument that women's IQs tend to vary less than men's is very interesting. This study focused on averages. Maybe looking at the median IQs for each gender would cut out really unusual people and show the true situation. Besides, even if men really do have an advantage in terms of IQ, women have already shown that they have the ability to compensate in other areas (hard work, etc.).

Are men smarter?

Joe McVoy, Lafayette, CO — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 03:22:36 GMT

I think men are smarter when it comes to spatial intelligence such as map reading, mathematics and dealing with tools and that women are smarter in dealing with and reading people. Total intelligence is nebulous at best in definition. I belive it's perfectly OK to say men are smarter at some things and women are smarter at others. We are NOT the same, thank God! If my wife were like me, I'd never have married her!

Are men smarter?

Danielle Sylvie Taylor — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 03:39:38 GMT

Well, you have to be careful in how you interpret them. I've been told by some men that my gender makes me less intelligent than they are, even though my IQ scores are significantly higher than the average, including those of the men who made those remarks.

People should be judged on the merits of their own intelligence, instead of what some ostensible average says they should have.

Are men smarter?

Annie — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 03:51:45 GMT

Well by focusing on gender, scientists can make claims about the relationship between genetics and intelligence without explicitly saying anything about more contraversial issues mainly race. Isn't that really the big question? I mean for centuries that very question/issue was the justification of exploitation, enslavement and subjugation of the majority of the world. Of course, if the bases of general intelligence are SAT scores, then this would clearly have a negative impact on certain minorities and women. I'm not sure where this research is going, but I hope it's not going where I think it's going....

Are men smarter?

Moon Maiden — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 04:20:44 GMT

D'oh!

(see AnoushehAnsari.com)

Are men smarter?

Jim Estep, Ebensburg, PA — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 04:30:22 GMT

The IQ differences seem somewhat inconsequential, being only a few points. That point difference is easily overcome by diligence and other personality traits, or likewise negated by lack of ambition when it comes to performance bayond testing. I've long believed in the concept of EQ (emotional quotient) as a more accurate predictor of success in life. I think we determine our level of accomplishment independent of IQ. What a boring world it would be were men and women to possess the same talents.

Are men smarter?

Ann Coyle, Tuscaloosa, AL — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 05:14:25 GMT

If men are so smart, how come they can never find their own socks?

Are men smarter?

Tim - Acworth, GA — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 05:27:08 GMT

I think these test measurements leave out those who are truly "geniuses" in one particular area. Alot of these types that I have seen can do incredible things in a field like Medicine, Mathematics, Biology etc. yet have an incredibly hard time with the simple, ordinary tasks of everyday life (location of car keys, paying bills on time, etc.). "Eggheads" is the usual term applied to these people. I would be willing to bet some serious money that these people, who most consider "Geniuses", would come close to failing if not outright flagging any comprehensive intelligence testing. Yet their contributions have been invaluable. This commentary goes across genders. I would be very interested in overall intelligence testing results of both males and females that are of this personality and IQ type. I personally think alot of talent gets wasted because it is not nurtured as it should be.

Are men smarter?

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 05:47:33 GMT

From a Buddhist perspective, we all undergo social “conditioning” that - in affect - buries the true person we really are. Girls are told to do girl things while guys are told to do theirs. If you are born in a racist family you’ll likely be a racist… Just as any American could be some extremist suicide bomber if they happened to be subjected to such extreme conditioning while being raised, so too can a extremist suicide bomber be a polite and calm member of society when brought up with that sort of conditioning. There is no dividing line between race or sex. It is all our conditioning!

Buddhism (which is actually more like a psychology than a religion) has many ways to help adults see through past conditioning. The meditational practice isn’t just to “calm nerves.” By quieting the mind and by deliberately listening for the seed of subtle thoughts to emerge (thoughts that we always get caught up in without realizing), we can begin to at least see how (and what) our minds react to. Is it really a subtle fear (which goes unnoticed) that causes us to think a certain way? Seeing the very seed of even just one subtle thought is more important than any treasure on earth!

In the excellent documentary 1GiantLeap, several of the commentators suggested that even our very religions put women at a disadvantage. In very ancient cultures (much as in Native American cultures) women were very highly regarded (most often the leaders and even god figures).

In my personal experience as a professional working for a rather large regional bank, I can tell you first hand that the women there were first rate and far keener than I’ll ever be. There was a woman CEO in the company! Both of my bosses were women who were remarkable at what they did! It was amazing how absolutely professional they were.

P.S. I guess I got beyond some of my own “male conditioning” when I decided to learn how to design and sew outdoor survival clothing for myself! My clothes are as well made as a NASA space suite and probably just as well designed.

Are men smarter?

Rhiannon Coppin, Vancouver, Canada — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 05:47:58 GMT

IQ tests were designed by men. SAT tests, also designed by men (and by no means an IQ test, which should involve non-paper tasks), are a man's idea of intelligence. What about discerning when people are lying to you? Lying to themselves? What about figuring out how to care for a sick animal? Or negotiate bus transportation in a land where you don't speak the language? What about time management?

What is "intelligence" but a judgement based on your values, and therefore a subjective measure.

By the way..I love math and engineering (did better than at least 90% of the boys I went to University with, and a lot of them cheated besides) and scored 96% percentile on an LSAT. So I have fun with tests of IQ. They're entertainment... but don't mean much in the real world.

Shouldn't a test of intelligence *really* be your ability to find happiness, peace, and contentment? Can rocket science ever really match up to that?

Are men smarter?

Chris Eldridge — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 06:00:18 GMT

Tim, I'd like to expand on your comment if I may. Native Americans would tell people that we are "all" gifted, or have our own "medicine" to offer in life - usually in some specific field or in some specific way. Many people do find this talent and make the most of it while others turn away from their “inner calling” and go about doing something they really weren't meant to. It's not exactly scientific, but following our "gut feeling" is one of the most important things we can do in life as it leads us to where we need to go and what we need to do. It is (what they called) your direct link to god and/or the spirit world.

Are men smarter?

Ginny-Ofallon,missouri — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 06:25:41 GMT

Men are genius's in getting women to wait on them and sweet talking their way into bed with them.Otherwise individual intelligence rules!!!

Are men smarter?

Don Duncan - Cambridge, MA — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 06:30:18 GMT

Standardized tests measure performance, preparation, experience - not intelligence. Scores on such tests can be correlated with success in various endeavors or ability to perform certain types of tasks - but that's not intelligence. The effects of socialization on standardized test scores dwarf the effects of intelligence differences. Any research which attempts to draw conclusions about intelligence based on standardized tests is fundamentally flawed. Even citing IQ as a measure of intelligence is based on the unproven assumption that IQ tests accurately measure intelligence.
I'm male - so I'm supposed to have inferior verbal skills? Yet I test in the top 5% nationally in standardized tests of verbal skills. Women have inferior spatial skills? I'll put Mia Hamm up against most men. Averages are statistical constructs; people are individuals. When I hire, I hire smart people - but I don't look for IQ tests, I decide if they're smart enough by talking to them - and although being smart is important, it's not as important as being competent and sociable, knowing you don't know it all and being willing to learn more. When my company gives applicants tests, they're not intelligence tests, they're experience tests. If you say you're a C++ programmer, we find out how much you know about it, and how experienced you are at using various features of the language, with a dose of, "How would you attack a problem like this?" We don't check your college grades, or standardized test scores. And you only need look around our office to see that if you can do the work, it doesn't matter what skin color, nationality or gender you are. Any "scientific" attempts to determine whether men are marginally more "intelligent" than women - or vice versa - is wasted. What's the point? The results of such a study, even if it were absolutely definitive, would also be absolutely useless.
When I got my degree in social psychology 40 years ago, I had the privilege of studying briefly with Yuri Bronfenbrenner, and something he said has stayed with me all my life. We had been reviewing "scientific" "studies" of racial differences, and learning to identify all the flaws in the various studies. But at one point he held up a sheaf of papers and said, "All this work, just to try to prove that blacks are genetically different from whites." He paused. "Of course they are!" he burst out. "In case you haven't noticed, their skins are black! The real question is, what difference does it make?"

Are men smarter?

JC, Fairbanks, AcK — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 06:42:37 GMT

2 of 3 grad Alumni and 3 of 4 current grad students in my small Planetary Science program are women. I've worked with most of them, and MY observation (admittedly from a small 'sample size') is that as far as math/science ability goes, the barrier is almost all cultural-expectation -based, and NOT capability -based.

JM has right that "Total intelligence is nebulous at best in definition". I would go further and say that it's not measurable, or even relevant. I have noticed NO CORRELATION between real research ability, and IQ SAT or GRE tests. JE has right the fact that "IQ" is NO indicator of research-science ability. I've known a number of very 'smart' people, who were abysmal failures at scientific research (read: 'original thought'). And several others, with 'low' "test" scores, who were whizzes at identifying the important aspects of problems, then 'solving' them.

Tim-aus-GA has right the fact that the LACK of committed mentorship, FROM AN EARLY AGE is a major reason why the scientific talents of fully 1/2 our population wither on the vine, and get "wasted".

However, I'm also sure that "forcing" this issue (as in 'directing education $$ at it') is the wrong answer. Rather, more people in the scientific community have to be more giving of their time and encouragement to youngsters who have such interests EARLY (ie. in grade school). Left untended such interests fade before high school.....unfortunately I must, so far, include myself in this neglect.

Are men smarter?

H. Landeros, Mexico — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 09:37:48 GMT

Whether one gender is more or less intelligent than the other might be a trivial question. The true concept is that both brains are different and not only in anatomical terms (mass for example).

We know that the brain works via electro-chemicals and we also know that each gender has it's own set of specific chemicals (testosterone, etc.) so why given different sets of chemicals that are used to trigger our reactions, would there be the same results?

Now whether this chemical difference makes one gender be more spatial and the other more verbal, it also give the biological differences that makes us different, unique but also complement to one another.

I guess the idea is that we're much better together.

Are men smarter?

Nick Bowen, Seattle, Washington — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 10:28:35 GMT

Using SAT scores, I'd expect this result. Sat scores are in part a result of the education system which still contains a gender bias in it. This may simply be a reflection of the gender bias of the system itself.

Are men smarter?

Fred Arnold, Strawberry Plains, TN — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:17:23 GMT

As Deborah Blum pointed out, the variability of scores within each group (male and female) is far greater than the difference of the averages. That means that an individual woman may be a genius in spatial abilities, and an individual man may be a genius in verbal abilities. Therefore, while all of these studies are very interesting, they are worthless in predicting the capabilities of an individual male, female, black, or caucasian. A person must be evaluated as an individual, not as a member of a group.

Are men smarter?

NancyHaynes Driscoll-Niemeyer — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 12:19:43 GMT

I.Q., per se, is not measurable. While it is true that performance on I.Q. and Achievement tests can predict with good reliability the ability to perform academically, there are so many other areas of the brain and proclivities of the psyche for which there are no current reliable tests. While academic achievement is of high value to the professional scholar, just glance at the areas of intelligence for which there are not at this time any standardized tests.

I was a high school teacher, a business college instructor, headmistress of a private school, and did Complete Psychological Evaluations for students in a nearby school system. I administered individual I.Q. tests: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale [WAIS], Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children {WISC], Wide Range Achievement Test, applied Jastac Analysis to further score the three preceding tests. I administered the Bender Motor Gestalt Test; the Rorschach Test; Incomplete Sentence Test; Draw-a-Picture, Draw-a-Person, Draw-a-House Test; and sometime several other tests to derive individually from the student his/her areas of possibly healthful, advantageous strengths or even crippling, detrimental weaknesses which might affect their scholastic potentials. Of course, the latter tests I mentioned measured certain personality and other factors which could have a profound influence upon the individual students' academic success.

These tests were valuable in that they were of tremendous value in addressing each individual student's needs and academic potential. I would select learning materials for the students and instruct the teachers in how to teach each student. If psychological problems presented themselves on the tests, I then worked with (or had another psychologist work with) those students, with the goal being to address and, hopefully, mollify any psychological or personality problems. I would draw the parents into the entire teaching/psychological process so that they would be fully aware of what and how achievement goals could be reached. I also made recommendations to Mental Health and to Psychiatrists.

From my own perspective and experience I have found that "Individual one-on-one testing--" not the "Paper" (i.e. group testing referred to above)-- is by far the most valuable assessment tool.

Race has nothing, whatsoever, to do with intelligence. Sex does seem in many cases to make a difference--not in the measureable overall I.Q., but in some personality factors. All of this goes back to the genes, the early and continuous healthy interaction of the family with the child--particularly in speaking, vocabulary, reading, counting fingers and toes, in counting the numbers of objects in any surroundings.

What can parents do to help their children achieve their full potential? Parents who read to their children, tell stories to them, take them to the library to select books to read, build a home library to be of interest "from the cradle to the grave," take the child on outings to examine the world of their surroundings, teach them to count money, take them to store to help name and select their favorite items, interact with the child about the sure-to-be-asked "what's, "hows," "whys," "whens," "where's" of whatever object or subject is at hand. See to it that your child learns "manners," courtesies, respect, faith, trust. Teach them how to be glad and to cheer on the winner, when their child is the loser. Teach them to honor all colors and hues of skin, hair, and eyes. Since God made us all so different, He must love the many colors and kinds of people He has made.

Despite what the President of Harvard University blurted out concerning the strengths and weaknesses of males compared to females, we each have our own talents that God gave especially to us. It is up to the child to use the talents God has given him/her. Throughout history, until after WWII, the father was usually the breadwinner, and the mother was the homemaker. Little girls play with dolls and pretend they are "mommies." Little boys love to "rat-a-tat-tat" with a toy, or imaginary, gun. Girls love to push their dolls in the tiny stroller. Boys are intent upon building tree-houses. All of these interests overlap in childhood between the genders, of course. I bought a boy doll for my son, who enjoyed it somewhat for a few months; then shortly, he ignored the doll altogether and centered on playing with his toy soldiers, utilizing the backyard clubhouse and playground we had built for him. He later became a U.S. Marine and is now a banker. Later we had a daughter, who was a “girly girl,” but she also played cowboys and Indians. She went into a Social Service career. None of us has ever gained national or international stature.

Both of our children, as well as my husband and I, score in the top 1% - 3% of the population on the Wechsler and Wide Range Achievement tests named above. None of us ever achieved the status of a Colin Powell, an Albert Einstein, a Werner Von Braun, the Wright Brothers, Booker T. Washington, Nelson Mandella, or Eleanor Roosevelt. Yet we live happy, productive lives, enjoy many friends and activities, have various hobbies, and have a sound faith in God.

I repeat: There are so many areas of the mind for which there are no standardized tests. What about Creativity? Humor? Compassion? Unselfishness? Persistence? Moral Values? Ingenuity? Imagination? Cleverness? Giftedness in art, music, dance, writing? Loving children, spouse, elderly, downtrodden, poor, sick, ugly, hopeless, helpless? Talent for the military, economics, government?

How do some poor children, like Bill Clinton, get Rhodes Scholarships and become Governor of Arkansas, then a two-term President of the USA? How does a single tiny man like Mahatma Ghandi inspire millions of his native people to make a "March to the Sea for Salt?" How does a pastor of a medium sized Baptist church in Atlanta rise to the national focus to help bring his people striding freely, without demonstrating any violence, into the mainstream of American life? How could a man named Will Rogers who was part Native American, part Caucasian, bring so much homespun joy and mirth to a young radio nation? There are no tests that these people took which would indicate what their contributions to society would be. Not everything can be tested--not yet, anyway. And would we actually WANT tests for everything?

Doctors and scientists are delving into the workings of the human brain, just as divers are scouring the stygian darkness of the ocean's bottom discovering a dark world of sea life that we had no idea existed. So man continues his quest to explore--the universe, the flora and fauna in the exploited and ravished rain forests of the earth. Were "The Gentle Tasaday" on their own island in the Pacific the very last-to-be-discovered race on earth? Remember Ishi, the "Last Wild Indian in North America" of the Yahi tribe who was found alone in hiding in California? (He, like the Elephant Man in England, was cared for in safety until his death in the early 1900's. All of these people had worth and did not take intelligence tests. But each was of inestimable value to his Maker as well as to mankind in general.

Exploration, documentation, experimentation, further mapping and evaluation of the human brain is a relatively new frontier of science. I feel that it is imperative to delve as deeply as possible into this mysterious organ of the body. This article and interactive diagram of the brain on MSNBC’s web page is something that many teachers should utilize in their classrooms as an instructional tool.

Are men smarter?

Andrea, State College, PA — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 12:48:35 GMT

Are 4 or 5 IQ points really statistically significant? For that matter, is the SAT really the best way to measure IQ? I mean, come on- Mensa doesn't even use it anymore in its admission requirements.

Are men smarter?

Wade Whitlock — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:07:20 GMT

Look at the person, not what someone else tells you to observe about them. Individual variability is the crucial thing. Don't believe me, then talk to the survivors of the Black Plague! It is a spectrum of capability.

Applies to minds and response to allergens equally well.

Are men smarter?

A. E. — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:10:14 GMT

When pondering over this question, nearly every beer commercial I've ever seen pops into my mind. You know, the ones featuring the 18-year-old blonde with rubber breasts who silently says to her male viewing public "If you drink this brand of beer, I'll have sex with you!" Gee, am I dumber than my male couterparts? Ummmmmm... no.

Are men smarter?

Olena, ..., PA — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:26:36 GMT

I agree, we are different and women do mature earlier than man.
But, before do any study like that, think where this will guide us to.
Give more attention to boys at school? No, because all kids should be treat equally, and more attention only to the child who has trouble understanding, no matter boy or girl.
Choose weather man or woman should be hired for specific jobs? I don't think so, because everyone is good at something, no matter male or female, only skills and desire are important.
Family? Definitely not, if study shows that man are smarter, it will give advantage for them to use it against woman in revelation ship, which will affect the kids in future. It is important that father and mother are equal in parenthood, if mother said no, father should give the same answer and otherwise. A lot of women are suffering from that already! Father comes home, spoils mothers rules and there is no respect from kids for the rest of the time toward her. Finally, kids are growing up with out any respect and morality, that’s when all your intelligent going down generation after generation.

It is an interesting study, just to show that woman’s and man’s brain's react differently, and we are different, inside and out! But no one could say that one sex is smarter than another, the only use will be for this study is to set a fight between both genders, which doesn’t make any sense.

Are men smarter?

Jane Porpeglia NY NY — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:27:58 GMT

Behind every male there's a female that makes things happen. Mother,sister,wife,grandmother.

Are men smarter?

Seth Jenkins, Indianapolis, IN — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:28:50 GMT

Who cares if men are smarter? Women are still better looking!

Are men smarter?

Patrick, St. Louis, MO — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:29:06 GMT

I have a 165 IQ, however that is not a factor that will determine my success. Hard work usually wins. The IQ seems to be more related to finding different solutions quicker, not necessarily having a "correct" answer. Overall, the observation that women are better at long term ratings and men are better at final exam type situations seems to be obvious from what I have seen and shows the difference in male and female focus. From the research I have seen, most men do better on IQ tests (final exam type tests) versus actual school grades (long term ratings). We need to keep this is mind when taking ACT/SAT exams as equal or better in importance to overall GPA.

Are men smarter?

Lois, Georgia — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:30:17 GMT

I still think we haven't adequately defined what intelligence is. Scientists talk about a "g" factor, but what is it really, and how do we accurately test the inner workings of a brain? Although I think most of us know an intelligent person when we see one, there is a lot of inaccuracy on IQ tests. I have known people who are extremely bright, getting multiple advanced degrees and who have incredible thought processes who have scored in the average to even low average range on IQ tests - 97, 98, etc.

Finally, is it really relevant? A 4-point difference in IQ scores is not going to make a difference in anyone's life. The most successful people are those that use the best of their abilities combined with good sense, intuition, imagination, organization, and emotional intelligence. These people appear brightest regardless of their actual score on a test.

Are men smarter?

Amy Townsend — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:01:54 GMT

As a woman and an engineer, I've seen how the encouragement of parents can contribute significantly to the development of "opposite" traits in men and women. My engineer father recognized early on that his daughter, not either of his two sons, had ability and interest in engineering-related work. My father encouraged my skills in these areas by including me in home repair projects, auto repair, etc. I also have exceptional verbal skills, which I may have been predisposed to because of being female.

I absolutely agree with JC's point about nurturing a child's interest/ability in "hard" sciences at a very early age. It surely worked with me. Some specialty organizations, such as the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineeers, are trying to reach children in underrepresented groups in engineering, but it is only a drop in the bucket.

As the mother of a 9-year-old girl with exceptional spatial skills, I am doing my best, along with my "people person" husband, to encourage my daughter to use and expand her abilities. With good mentoring, the intelligence advantage men have, real or perceived, becomes mute.

- Amy Townsend, Birmingham, Alabama

Are men smarter?

Ryan , Rhode Island — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:13:38 GMT

I am in mensa, but I only scored a 1250 on my SAT's. What does that mean? In general I would say that means I am lazy, so it’s a good thing I pick things up so quickly or I would be in bad shape career wise. I also have a bit of an attention problem, but this could stem from boredom. As I remember a lot of the SAT's related to vocabulary which is memorization. A vocabulary test is not a measure of intelligence; it just shows who has been doing their homework. Believe me when I tell you that I missed more than one assignment. There have been cases of self taught mathematicians who developed their knowledge base without outside influence. This speaks to the fact that math is the universal language. Spoken language and vocabulary will be developed differently every time you rerun man's evolution. Men and women have different genitals which is a fact, the rest of this is speculation. I love my wife more than anything and it has a lot more to do with her heart(AKA personality, relax scientists!) than her brain.

Are men smarter?

Anne-Marie Mazur — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:15:11 GMT

These "scientific studies" are based on the assumption that IQ or SAT (Achievement) testing really do measure "intelligence". Intelligence tests were written by psychologists--not by mathematicians, or engineers, or physicists. There is no hard science here, folks.

Minorities score an average of 15 points lower than their white counterparts on "IQ" tests. Anyone who doesn't have problem with that difference on a so called intelligence test needs to re-examine their own intelligence...think about it.

Now, one of my favorite examples for the lay person on what an abysmal failure an IQ test really is at measuring intelligence:

Two children score identically in the 98th percentile on timed block design. One child played with blocks on a daily basis, while the other never played with blocks in her life. What did this test result really tell you? You see, there is no indication on the test that one child played with blocks for the first time in her life that day. Just a number on a psuedo-science test. I ask you, what result would you consider remarkable compared with the other? OH, that's right, there is no measure of that.

-AM Mazur

Are men smarter?

Tim, Grand Rapids, MI — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:15:17 GMT

First of all 4-5 IQ points is statistically insignificant when compared with average IQ. In fact it becomes even less significant as the IQ increases above average. While IQ is somewhat of a predictor of potential to do a function and the higher the IQ the more likely the person is able accomplish the task and do it in less time than someone with a lower IQ, 4-5 point advantage does not out-way training, experience or attitude of the person slated to perform the task. So why are we even concerned with this?

Secondly there is an inherent problem with the IQ test sort of like the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle - Time. Time is a factor of the test, a set number of questions in a given amount of time. Not only do the correct answers factor in but the number of questions the test subject completed in a given time weighs in. The test is designed to basically measure two things, General comprehension of a subject (i.e. Math, Verbal) and comprehension rate. Since rate is one of the desired measurements we are looking for you cannot exclude time from the factor. Any factor that expresses a rate has to have time in the equation or it ceases to be a rate measurement. But time in this case is actually affected by two things. Rate of comprehension (which the test is trying to measure) and calculation speed (processor speed). This is where the time index gets a little sticky.

Ok so mathematically the calculation is correct as designed, but you have to take into consideration that two distinct biological populations are being measured. What if the female brain simply has slightly slower synapse or neural transmitter speed than the male brain? Sort of like comparing a 2ghz processor with a 1.9ghz processor. Both can run the exact same calculation and return the same correct answer but one with do it slightly faster. Or perhaps the algorithms that men use to calculate a math problem are different than women. Sort of like programming a computer to do a series of calculations in two different programming languages. Both will return the correct answer (assuming no programming logic errors) but because of differences in the compiler algorithms, the speed of output will be different even if run on the same machine.

Now does this change the results of the study? No. But society tends to take the acronym IQ and substitute it with the word smart (or dumb as the case may be). These words do not measure a person’s ability to do a job but instead project society’s perception of a person’s worth to society. Because of this perception it would be better to study the actual physical/chemical/electrical processing of each brain (male/female) and then adjust the timing index to compensate for distinct biological differences. I understand the there is nothing wrong with the science, but when science can influence societies perception and peoples lives, science needs to factor in the socio-political factor and adjust its reporting to show this. It would be totally unfair to women to suggest that men’s brains are superior just because of physiological difference. Whether you believe in evolution, in which case nature made the difference because it was superior for the survival, or you believe in God and creation, the difference was planned and therefore has to be factored.

I, being male can help make a baby but I can’t gestate one. Does this make me inferior? Some would argue it does. Some would argue “why in the world would you want that pain that goes with that process?” and suggest that that makes men superior. Neither is correct. Men and women are different in many ways and that is very much by design.

So factor that difference, understand that difference and celebrate that difference. viva la diferance!

Are men smarter?

T. Leeman — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:15:40 GMT

Who the F cares what what a study says. Aren't any of you smart enough to see the effects of intelligence in your daily lives.

I come across more dumbassess every week. There's no end to them. Not the least of which are the people that spent time and money on this study. Gimme a freaking break!

Are men smarter?

Fabio A. Naranjo — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:22:25 GMT

I am very skeptical of many of these tests as they are developed by people who bring with them their own experiences, training and--too often-- prejudices. Thus, how about a study about the gender AND race AND ethnicity of the people who design all of these "tests" (IQ, SAT, ACT, etc.)? The biases inherent in the development of these tests should/cannot be underestimated.

Are men smarter?

DOUGLAS VON QUALEN — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:24:29 GMT

i laughed when i read ms. blum's comment "i get really tired of people telling me that."

she sounds just like my wife! and i don't often hear a man employing that phrase.

indicative. typical verbalism from a woman.

as if saying were doing.

Are men smarter?

Joe, Florida — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:30:37 GMT

I think its far more useful to us to begin studying the human brain in regards to the direction they will take as our societies become more gender integrated. How will these pre-existing differences evolve toward a common structure as the necessity for both genders to possess much in the same properties increases?

Are men smarter?

marcia friesen — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:40:31 GMT

Smarter than what?

Are men smarter?

EG — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:45:40 GMT

The nature of intelligence is subjective, with nuances that cannot be captured with filling in bubbles with a number 2 pencil.

Are men smarter?

John Doe, Seattle, Wash. — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:50:15 GMT

Boys Rule!

Are men smarter?

T. Parker, Naperville, Il. — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:56:48 GMT

I have given over 2000 intelligence tests in schools. They usually measure both verbal and nonverbal abilities. The verbal scores tend to be good predictors of academc success in school most of the time. However, intelligence tests don't measure motivation, self-responsibility, one's ability to relate to another, or the willingness to apply oneself and use the ability that they have. These factors are also important to one's success both in school and afterwards. And by the way, I still don't know what real intelligence is. Perhaps it's the ability to be successful in whatever endeavor one undertakes.

Are men smarter?

DLP — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:18:03 GMT

If men are smarter, why do they start wars?

Are men smarter?

steve, las cruces, nm — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:22:21 GMT

"If men are so smart, then how come they can never find their socks?"

Maybe the men (man) that can't "find" their socks are smarter because they can get women (or woman) to do it for them. I have no trouble finding my socks.

Men and women are different. Does it really matter if women are smarter than men or men smarter than women on an average basis? I don't think it does.

Remember that intelligence tests are human artifacts and have flaws. I doubt that a test given to American subjects would be exactly the same (other than language) as one given to Russian subjects or Taiwanese subjects or Maori subjects. So, variation of a few points in an IQ test is hardly significant.

Are men smarter?

Scott Ferguson, Birmingham, AL — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:24:09 GMT

What needs to be taken into consideration is that Test Taking is a skill just like any other - some people are better at it than others.

I am also amazed that the military's use of "g" is trotted out as justification for its validity!

Are men smarter?

JSH, OKC, OK — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:24:12 GMT

Why does one sex have to be better than the other? Are we THAT insecure? I do not personally believe that life is a competition.

There's a big difference between people who can solve problems and people who can't...a difference which goes much deeper than gender or race.

Are men smarter?

BB, Troy NY — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:38:09 GMT

These IQ tests are meaningless. So I can multiply faster than you can and have an impressive vocabulary. Im a programmer, I've got my degrees and certifications and all the trappings that come along with it (read I'm in debt up to my eyeballs). My 'dumb as rocks' friend, couldnt get into a real college ( those pesky SATs) , went to community college years later when the job required it, works construction ,now a foreman ( read set with low debt and a georgeous wife that cooks to boot).Now, I know financial status isnt everything but if you ask me he's the genius. $30,000 worth of loans, craming and reciting meaningless facts to code heads down for a company probably logging this as I write. I'll say it again; SATs, IQ tests are meaningless to your sucess in the real world.

Are men smarter?

TC, Tampa, FL — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:52:40 GMT

One element was missing from this report - Are these results statistically significant? There is always a margin of error in IQ tests. Also my understanding of the SAT is that it is an aptitude or achievement test, not an IQ test. Although they may appear to be similar, they have been designed for different purposes and are not intended to be used interchangeably. As a female working on a Ph.D. in a field of research, the information provided in this article leaves more questions than answers.

Are men smarter?

DWScott, Ann Arbor, MI — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:56:21 GMT

Are men smarter than women? Are bananas fruitier than oranges? Both function as they're made to do. The attempt to quantify and compare fundamentally different entities on a questionable construct, and then act as though the results are meaningful is wreckless. Bananas are brilliant bananas and oranges are bright oranges. Comparing them on "fruitiness" diminishes the wonderfulness of both.

Are men smarter?

Frank, Dallas, TX. — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:00:30 GMT

Intelligence is in the eye of the beholder. The whole idea of assigning a score to someone based on the results of a test is nothing more than an attempt to put a concrete number on an abstract concept. What's next, an "art quotient" that gives the Mona Lisa a 120, and the Sistine Chapel a 135?

Are men smarter?

Joann, Portland, Oregon — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:36:24 GMT

A few points doesn't make a big difference, especially when it comes to what people DO. I don't mind. I'll just keep doing the best I can.

Are men smarter?

JR — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:39:05 GMT

This should really be a non-issue. Some of us are bigger, some smaller. Some of us are heavier, some lighter. Some of us are smarter, some not so smart. What really matters is that we should be evaluated as individuals because, of all the people I've met, none was average.

Are men smarter?

Les L Baisi — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:44:52 GMT

Are men smarter than women?

Has everyone forgotten that famous study conducted way back when-around the time of Adam and Eve I believe-This study simply asked the question “if a man speaks in the forest and there are no women around to hear him, is he still wrong?” Well talk about conclusive results- 99.9999% of woman world wide replied with an emphatic yes! Given such results how can we possibly think were smarter –come on guys wise up.

Les L Baisi

Are men smarter?

Andrew, Dayton, OH — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:52:03 GMT

If men and women are truly different both physically AND mentally, then perhaps the Supreme Court should revisit the question of federal and/or state support of single sex education programs to focus efforts in the classroom on a specific gender, both to encourage areas where the gender excels and to focus on areas where the gender has a disadvantage (the spatial/verbal issue). Since it's a known fact that men and women are different, it begs the question as to why the US Supreme Court fails to consider single sex education programs a compelling reason for exception from gender "discrimination", which these programs are not.

Is superior education a "compelling" reason, Supremes?

Are men smarter?

not stupid Seattle area — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:52:55 GMT

OK - so if men are smarter why have college undergraduate male percentages declined in the past 25 or 30 years from 58% to 44% and percentages on standardized tests in schools seeing a decline in math and reading for "boys" (males) and an increase for "girls" (females)? This runs EXACTLY counter to the premise (4th grade results and further substantiated by high school results comparing 80's to current testing)

Are men smarter?

Paris FRANCE — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:55:01 GMT

Only men could invent washing machines, but only women know how to use them, so together we ar complimentary, vive la diffèrence! :)

Are men smarter?

Julia, Orlando, FL — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:57:22 GMT

Take into consideration also the number of people (their SAT scores, really) with whom this study was conducted. The larger the sample, the less variance it takes to achieve statistical significance. For example, if we were to conduct analyze the IQ's of hundreds of thousands of people, even a one-point difference would appear "statistically significant" (even using an Alpha of .01 or less) when in reality, we know that one point is menial in terms of IQ and most fluctuations in IQ scores have more to do with the imperfect psychomentric properties of the tests than the actual intelligence of the testee. In other words, be wary of statistics and think realistically!

Are men smarter?

Perfect Putt, Kendallville, IN — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:08:26 GMT

I'll take the years I'll live longer over 3 piddling IQ points any day!

Are men smarter?

R.Duran El Paso,Tx. — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:12:44 GMT

I.Q. is equal to intelligence of a person (male or female) which is the ability to reason or having the capacity for thought and reason to a high degree. So is there intellgent life on this planet (Earth)?

Are men smarter?

mc — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:28:01 GMT

He didnt pass judgment on anyone in particular, so don't get too uptight about Philippe's dicoveries. He also discovered, a few years ago, that penis size should be an expression of his IQ, or something like that.

The man obviously has some fixations and perhaps should be a subject of a separate study himself...

(I'd like to get my hands on the sources of his funding; maybe I would discover something useful as well.)

Are men smarter?

Chuck — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:29:31 GMT

To me, it is obvious that women and men are not equals. There are differences. The military upfront admits the physical differences. Women have much lower requirements for their physical fitness. What I find truly interesting is that even talking about the differences in the sexes physical abilities in a political correctness taboo. I think it is about time someone actually started to study this topic. I know it is not politically correct, but I get tired of people wanting to say that we are all equal. I'm not advocating that men are better than women, but it's time we actually looked instead of spouting the rhetoric that the earth is the center of the universe.

Are men smarter?

James — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:47:08 GMT

If I may, God made man in His image and then made woman from the creation of man and gave them dominion over all things of this world and free will to choose over good and evil. It seems intelligence has more to do with man and woman ablity to make the right choices in life and purpose as God intended it. However, according to where we are today both man and woman appear to be inept when it comes to true intelligence.

Are men smarter?

Joe, California — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:48:20 GMT

We cant find our socks because you put them somewhere.

Are men smarter?

Indianapolis — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:01:40 GMT

I see a lot of defensive comments from women concerning this issue and I am surprised by them. It indicates they are paying little or no attention to the comments being made by men on this board. The men seem to NOT follow the idea that men are smarter, but rather men and women are equally intelligent but in different areas.

As for men being the people who create these test...uh..you need to do some research before you speak. Men and women create these test and your comment really does doesn't help your sex look intelligent.

One more thing, I always know where my socks are, right where my wife can get them for me.

(Intelligent men and women will understand my point in these comments...)

Are men smarter?

Rebecca Shamo (Salt Lake City, UT) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:07:54 GMT

These are all very interesting points and the whole concept of trying to determine who is innately smarter than who is erronious! Think about it: God creates man and woman...now there are blaringly obvious differences on a physical level and for very good reason: procreation etc...but if it was important enough for him to create two different genders of the human race...does it not also make sense that he made inherent differences in the natures of the two?? Physically one compensates where another lacks...and so it goes with the nature and intelligences of the two.

Are men smarter?

Joanna Ratkovich — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:08:27 GMT

As an educator, I have seen girls begin to "dumb down" as they enter puberty and begin to compete for male attention both in and out of the classroom. It's just not cool for a girl to be smart, especially in subjects like math. I can still remember the boys in my 8th grade class telling me that I'm too smart and that boys don't like smart girls. Once we start really encouraging girls to study math and take math more seriously , we should start to see those math scores rising on the SAT. Once we start de-emphasizing the importance of marriage and trapping a man in the lives of young girls, we will start to see those math scores rising. Once we start encouraging women to make a life for themselves, we will start to see women's IQ scores soar past men's.
One more point: the extreme variability in men's scores on the SAT makes statistical anaylsis of IQ and SAT scores open to a great deal of questions.

Are men smarter?

Mike Lentsch, St. Paul, MN — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:21:05 GMT

Let's face it. Men have a genetic advantage in all aspects of intelligence that don't involve "invisible" female suggestion to one another and backstabbing. The reasons these differences arose in humans is strikingly obvious when looking at the early development of mankind, if not most animal species. The female bear offspring and defend them vigorously. The males do everything else (of course this is relatively general, but completely true, nonetheless).

Are men smarter?

Tom Gent, Harrah, Oklahoma — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:21:11 GMT

I remember somebody (probably a Woman) telling me that in utero, boys brains are literally soaked in testosterone. If they get a lot, they're highly intelligent. If they get just a little too much, they're psychopaths. Too bad I didn't get enough in utero to be a super genius, but at least I'm not an axe murderer.
Intelligence isn't the only measure of a person.

Are men smarter?

Mike Brown, Troy Alabama — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:36:56 GMT

Does it really matter??? This study will not change how men and women behave toward each other. Is there not a better use of these resources? It is hard to believe I am reading this study (contemplating the time and money spent) and there are people in the world without drinking water.

Are men smarter?

Steve Sondrol, East Grand Forks MN. — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 19:08:31 GMT

I think we should vote on it.
The results would be about as accurate as any of the research thats been done.

Are men smarter?

jim Phoenix, AZ — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 19:21:48 GMT

Depending on who you ask, men are smarter, or woman. Too many factors are left out. An old man may be smarter than a young woman when it comes to History, since the old man lived it. Not a fair question!

Are men smarter?

JT - theBurg, KS — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 19:37:39 GMT

Two quotes come to mind:

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.
- Albert Einstein

Every man(woman) is my superior in at least one way.
- unknown

What Deborah Blum is trying to do here is reduce the results to meaningless statistics, she is trying to take it from broad spectrum to the very specific, but that isn't what this study is trying to accomplish. Anyone can walk around with their IQ test results and tell other people (men or women) that they are the smarter person. Any study can be brought down to the level of the individual.

This study is drawing logical conclusions from a set of data, which is true for several different population groups.

One other thing, the truth will set you free. Deborah Blum mentions a sexual intelligence war. Rushton and Jackson weren't trying to prove one gender was smarter than the other they were just publishing the conclusive results of a study. The facts are facts and can't be disputed, well they can be disputed with other facts, but this is a one way study. All roads lead to the same conclusion.

Basically what I'm saying, to answer the question presented at the bottom of the article, is this:

A fact is a fact and if someone thinks it is wrong to mention facts to save someone's feelings that is stupidity. Living in ignorance for the sake of a person's feelings, how retroactive can we be.

Political correctness harbors stupidity and ignorance.

Are men smarter?

LTownslee, Atlanta, GA — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 20:17:12 GMT

Just a quick note- my 192-IQ husband depends on my 140 IQ completely to keep track of our healthcare needs, monitor our financial situation, and care for our animals...he openly admires my "common sense" just as I'm fascinated by his "genius-moments"

Bottom line- we have different talents that we combine together to make a very successful relationship work...that's what is most important to us. (IQ numbers be damned! *wink*)

Are men smarter?

JC, Illinois — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 20:22:34 GMT

The obvious problem with this research is that sex cannot be assigned, therefore the differences (and they are small) cannot be causally attributed to sex.
Another problem is that the participants in the experiment self-selected to take the SAT. Last time I checked more females than males were college bound, therefore the average female taking the SAT might have a lower IQ than the average male simply due to who chose to take the test that year. Do the experiment again and select males and females RANDOMLY to take the test and we can talk....

Are men smarter?

Anon — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 20:22:44 GMT

Quote: "Most people use statistics the way a drunkard uses a lamppost, more for support than illumination" Mark Twain

(Ok, have seen that quote attributed to many people but most often to Mark Twain).

Are men smarter?

KD, Missoula Mt — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 20:39:18 GMT

Here is a real life example of why test scores are not very important in the real world.

My mother has never attended college. My father has three degrees and several certifications, all pertaining to math or computers in some way. My mother balances the checkbook, pays the bills, and plans the budget. This is because my father gets so frustrated and confused when he does try to do it that he ends up making mistakes and bouncing checks.
When I was 14 my mother went on a three-week vacation with my grandparents. My father had to pay the bills and halfway through he realized he had mixed the checks up and had forgotten to write down the checks in the registry. He asked me to help him sort the mess out. We spent 15 minutes opening envelopes and unscrambling checks that were placed in wrong envelopes.
Both my parents are very intelligent people. Certainly they are better suited for different tasks, but I believe this has more to do with personality than gender.
My father definitely makes more money than my mother, but I am pretty sure that my father would not have any money with out my mothers help.
So please tell me how SAT scores have anything to do with whether someone is intelligent or capable of succeeding in life.

Are men smarter?

Brian Keane, PhD, Los Angeles — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 20:43:14 GMT

An important fact briefly noted in the article is that there is less variability in intelligence in women, than in men. To put it crudely: smart men are slightly smarter than smart women; but dumb men are slightly dumber. But the SAT tests are taken by individuals who have IQs that are higher than the national average. It follows that the opposite gender effect should show up for those who do not take the SATs, in which case men and women may--on average--still be identical with respect to overall intelligence.

Are men smarter?

a p garcia — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 21:10:52 GMT

As a Biologist, men's brain cavity is about 100 cc larger than a women's brain. That doesn't tell all the story because MRI and PET scans show women's brains to be more active than a males. I once took an IQ test meant for an African Jungle Native and I scored real low on that test.

Are men smarter?

Chris — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 21:11:21 GMT

All that the researchers have demonstrated is that men are slightly better at taking those tests. Does that mean men are a little more intelligent or that the tests are somewhat gender biased? I know which way I’m leaning.

Are men smarter?

Angie — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 21:39:22 GMT

Annie (Sent Thursday, September 07, 2006 11:51 PM)

Seems like you're trying to start trouble where scientists are trying to end it. If you're male, you're male, regardless of what color you are, and likewise with females. How appropriate for them to be grouped as such. Isolating a small age group ( and a rather intellecually unfocused age group for gals )reveals a great discrepancy in results.

Are men smarter?

Greg Cross, Mayfield, Ohio — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 22:10:29 GMT

My, don't people get incensed when you point out that there ARE in fact differences between us.

Reality has a way of intruding into our comfortable, politically correct world, doesn't it? The outrage surprises me a little, I wonder at the roots of that...

Are men smarter?

kxar — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 22:37:29 GMT

Well of course men are smarter than women. Always have been, always will be. But, if we men were just a little smarter, just a little bit smarter than we are right now, we would know better than to talk about such things publicly.

Are men smarter?

Jennifer L., San Diego, CA — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 22:48:41 GMT

Let's also consider the variables which are often left uncontrolled. For instance, and I know this may be hard to believe, there are many schools that cater to boys over girls. Also, are we evaluating the effectiveness of these tests? Is there a general difference in the health and eating habits of teenage boys and girls? Eating habits and cognitive function are symbiotic, we know, and many teenage girls do not load up on the protein and carbs like their male peers. I look forward to a follow-up study of the same individuals ten years from now.

Are men smarter?

SandyVC, Calgary, AB — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 23:00:24 GMT

While working on my Education degree and studying tests and testing, we were told that the IQ test does one thing. It tests whether you are good at doing IQ tests. They do not test other forms of intelligence, cannot by their very nature. For my own amusement, I did an SAT. I discovered that, despite being an IQ-test-type genius and well educated, that I did not do well on such things as analogies. Why? Because I am a divergent thinker and a polymath. These tests were put together by very mundane and culturally limited people. Genius, creativity, general intelligence, and specific types of intelligence are not amendable to easily scoreable written tests.
As for educating the young who have interests beyond the curriculum, they need better education not just more work to do. They also need protecting from the low expectations of the kind of people who look for a quick way to answer complex problems.

Sandy

Are men smarter?

Julieanne, Henderson, NV — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 23:10:22 GMT

I got 98th percentile on the LSAT, IQ of 138, and have no idea if either of those utterly arbitrary numbers means a thing! I do well at certain "girl things" and equally well at certain "guy things," but I have noticed, as a mother, that I'm much better than hubby at multi-tasking. That's likely evolutionary, too, since early men hunted, while early women had to cook, make clothing and care for children all at once. We're different in many ways, alike in many ways. However, basing a global statement that "men are smarter than women," on two tests which are of highly questionable veracity, is rank stupidity. And the authors of this study were men, I believe? 'Nuff said!

Are men smarter?

Lea, Los Angeles, CA — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 23:22:10 GMT

If we generally accept that men and women's brains are indeed different, than any "standardized" test that encompasses both genders' participation is pointless. Shouldn't these tests be calibrated along gender lines to accurately assess the true intelligence of individuals? It's long overdue to throw debilitating political correctness to the side, and focus on what will really work, functionally and precisely. As a woman, I really would prefer to be measured against other women, not across all people in general. I feel the results would be much more accurate then.

Are men smarter?

Fred Mello, Oregon — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 23:35:56 GMT

Any mention of a difference of intelligence between women and men is always goig to start a firestorm, because of their fragile egos. Men just really don't care.

Are men smarter?

Lisa, Dallas, TX — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 23:37:19 GMT

This female Summa *** Laude slacker with a graduate degree would beg to differ with the professor's conclusions. According to the researcher's male-dominated criteria, I must be pretty darm smart.

First, I've aced every standardized test I've ever taken and scored off the charts on my IQ tests. I guess girls can fill in ovals as well as boys.

Second, I didn't study in college because I didn't have to so I'd like to dispute his theory that women just work harder. I used his typically male strategy for success -- acing my exams because I was smart and knew my subjects. Oh, and spending hours explaining complicated scientific principles to my male peers probably helped reinforce the material.

After almost four decades on this planet, I've only met one man who might be smarter than me and I married him. We do know two girls who are smarter than both of us -- our kids. Hopefully, by the time they're in college, women won't have to keep proving we're better than the guys in order to be successful.

I hope my daughters are lucky enough to find a man like their dad. When people rave about his intelligence, he responds, "you haven't met my wife. She's smarter than I am." Now, there's a smart guy!

Are men smarter?

T.H., Harbor Springs, MI — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 23:37:54 GMT

On any given day, it seems that 95% of the American population is "stupid" (equally split between men and woment). So, a debate about who is smarter - men or women - that involves the remaining 5% of the population is irrelevant.

Are men smarter?

Christine - Fort Lauderdale, FL — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 00:21:15 GMT

I think it's interesting that researchers are basing their findings on a test for which a person can buy a higher score through all these test prep. companies. When I think of intelligence, I think of the raw cognitive ability that a person possesses which, for the most part, cannot be augmented, especially by Kaplan. I do not believe that the SAT directly measure cognitive ability, only what a person has been exposed to. For example, there are extremely bright people who may not have impressive lexicons simply because they have not read great works of literature that the SAT assumes that a person has read, and from which vocabulary terms are drawn for the test. It doesn't matter to the SAT that such individuals have a higher capacity to learn these words than other individuals who score higher on the exam simply because they attended better schools or had literature professors for parents. In my opinion, the SAT is good for colleges to see if an applicant has developed the knowledge base needed to succeed in college, because colleges cannot go back and teach fundamental concepts to entering freshman, and so the SAT allows colleges to admit the people who are ready to build upon a certain breadth of knowledge. It has nothing to do with a person's IQ and therefore, it's back to the drawing board of which sex reigns in the area of intelligence.

Are men smarter?

Elizabeth Van Horn — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 00:40:35 GMT

Hmm, I wonder what Marilyn Vo Savant would think about the study. She has one of the highest IQ ever recorded. She was quoted in 2005 regarding IQ as saying, "attempts to measure it are useless".

Are men smarter?

joe schmo, turkeyville, carolina — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 00:56:29 GMT

men have all of that extra brain power in their testicles... its a scientifically proven fact...

Are men smarter?

Claudia, Miami, FL — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 01:21:46 GMT

It is all about a biological BALANCE. We wouldn't be here if we all exceeded at the same things. For us to survive there is need of every kind of skill. I think we are totally fine the way we are, just don't make such a big deal out of it.

Are men smarter?

Frank Conroe, Texas — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 02:34:14 GMT

What difference does it really make if, supposedly, men are smarter than women. Nobody learns nor exactly comprehends info the same otherwise everyone'd be a genius or an idiot, right? Havin said that, how logical does it sound to say men as a whole are smarter if we each as an individual. Come on now.

Are men smarter?

Kate — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 02:37:40 GMT

i don't think the difference really matters much. Most comparisons of male and female intelligence I have read have only shown small differences in intelligence. Also i've heard that a few studies have shown that men's intelliegence varies more.

Are men smarter?

Josh, Dallas, TX — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 02:56:12 GMT

After reading all of this dribble, I can conclude only one thing: there are a lot of people wasting their time on the Internets.

Are men smarter?

Mykelti — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 03:19:40 GMT

What does it matter if men have a SLIGHT edge in IQ. A high IQ is not always a predictor of great success in life. And let not forget that we are a complex and varied species. They are plenty of stupid men out there, balanced by some very intelligent women.

Are men smarter?

Sonny, Portland, Oergon — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 04:11:38 GMT

So why don`t all you people just sit down and have a beer, huh?

Are men smarter?

Krystin — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 04:19:32 GMT

I agree that our tests are flawed with multiple biases, and I've never seen a case where doing well on any kind of standardized test predicted future success. Respect for others--all others--is a lot more useful than tests that may or may not show something interesting but we can't tell because of the biases we all bring to the results.

We all have valuable things to contribute; but historically, women's contributions haven't received as much respect, even when done in traditionally male arenas. How many historically important women (or minorities) did you learn about in school? All my textbooks showed great accomplishments by a bunch of white men. Not to belittle those accomplishments, but it was a very biased exposure. I think it's changing for the better: my son's textbooks seem more balanced. Still, female-dominated industries (e.g., teaching, nursing) are MUCH lower in salary than traditionally male jobs, and the women in male-dominated industries are getting paid less than their male counterparts.

I don't think that one gender is actually more intelligent than the other; I think that culturally, our respect for males has been higher, regardless of the actual level of skills or intelligence. Generally speaking, boys and men get a lot more attention, support, and respect than girls and women do. A smarter woman still earns less than a man, even with comparable education and work experience.

On an individual basis, those who are nurtured and supported do better than those who aren't, regardless of test scores or gender or actual intelligence (whether that's measurable or not).

Are men smarter?

Elizabeth Eliades, Wayne, New Jersey — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 04:36:40 GMT

The debate over a few IQ points is useless. Is America, is the world so obsessed with scores, statistics and cold fact that it is blind to real life?

Does it truly matter in the real world what your IQ is? Absolutely not. What matters is the kind of person you are, what gifts you have, and what you are willing to contribute for the betterment of other people.

Intelligence is a gift. Many jaded people would argue that it is also a curse, but I believe that intelligence is the gift of a tool--a tool to be used to improve the plight of the poor, the diseased, the underprivilaged and persecuted of the world.

I am personally fascinated by studies of the brain, but not at the cost of sparking debates that are counterproductive. I believe that for the majority, yes men and women are typically stronger in DIFFERENT areas. That is a good thing--if one person was able to "do it all" would there be a point in even doing it? If one gender were truly superior to the other, only one gender would exist, and they would be able to reproduce on their own, all by themselves. But such is not the case. Men and women, women and men, have gifts of different KINDS of intelligence so that these intelligences can complement one another so we work better together rather than against ourselves, just as we complement each other physically to reproduce. It is that simple. However that does not mean an individual who does not fit the pattern of the typical "male brain" or "female brain" does not exist.

Rather than praising the highest score, whether it be for an IQ test, the SAT, or any other assessment, we should be praising the myriad of different types of intelligence that exist! The world is definitely a more interesting place when every person has a unique set of skills, instead of a definitive number!

The fact that a statistic has churned up that the average male IQ is 4 to 5 points higher than a woman's is of no importance. Women are just as and at many times more so intelligent than men, and vice versa. A score is not true intelligence. A test cannot test quality of person such as resourcefulness, courage, or determination. A test cannot accurately test how individuals react to a situation.

So does a higher average IQ prove that males are more intelligent than females?

No.

Are men smarter?

dave huff fowlerville mi. — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 04:45:46 GMT

how many women and men were polled in the sat scores in the studies

Are men smarter?

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 05:00:52 GMT

I liked DWScott’s comment, "Are men smarter than women? Are bananas fruitier than oranges? Both function as they're made to do."

Over many thousands of years, our mental and physical characteristics had become perfectly harmonized to the many natural factors we encountered. For example, there is certainly a lot of specialization in our physical characteristics. The women who have to bear and care for a child don’t have the hunting-type characteristics because they wouldn’t even be able to do the hunting during pregnancy to begin with. Maybe they are slightly smaller so that there would be more food to go around in a family unit? And so on.

Slight differences in mental attributes (vocabulary etc) would certainly seem possible. As someone pointed out, a woman’s strength in vocabulary is probably good to help a child (who they’d be with more often) learn to speak. Thus, I do think that an attempt to find which gender has which strengths can be very helpful! Using SATs seems a rather inexpensive way to get a lot of somewhat useful results quickly (which, as we have done here, can be weighed accordingly). Perhaps if we could look at specific answers to specific questions we might then be able to filter out the bias questions to improve accuracy?

Are men smarter?

Theresa, New Orleans, LA — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 05:04:52 GMT

To the man that said we aren't equal, that's ridiculous. We are all equal. Just because women can't compete the same physically doesn't mean much. I don't agree with that because I'm positive that there are women that can do the same as a man. Lets just say that we can't compete physically though. We still make up for it in otherwise. So we're still equal. That isn't even what this article is about, so I don't know why you went off topic.

As to intelligence, I believe that neither gender is more smart than the other. I don't believe a test is what the conclusion should be based off of. As was already stated, not everyone is good at taking tests. On top of that, SATs are long and not everyone has the patience to really take the time with each question. So I don't take much stock in this theory. Besides, it's only about a 3 point difference. No big deal.

Are men smarter?

Sharon Whitmore, Ona WV — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 05:39:14 GMT

The only thing a test measures is a persons ability to take it. Tests do not measure intelligence. People grow and change and continue to learn...or they huff and snort and inhale and imbibe until they are brain damaged. It's not what you have, its what you do with it that really counts.....and can be measured.

Are men smarter?

m.a. mountain view, ca — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 05:57:23 GMT

Interesting polarities to this discussion. Arguments can be made either way...how much does iq really measure. Some think (Jensen, etc.) that speed is a more important factor since it can be measured with probably less bias. Here's whay we mean:
http://cognitivelabs.com/Brainpal_test_yellow.htm

Are men smarter?

Jim H Sacramento CA — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 06:51:09 GMT

There have been some great comments left by some people. Most notably, statistical averages, are just that, not a prediction of an individuals IQ. Of course there are genetic differences between men and women, is that really a surprise? So what does it mean, it means that men who want to go to college on average have higher IQ's than women. What's the value of such a study many have asked. I think it's evident by the comments made here that the PC world we live in where everyone is equal such a study seems to slightly shift that paradigm.

This study, in combination with another recently released report that sexes learn better from their own sex, would lead one to suspect that the differences would be greater if the teaching profession wasn't predominately female. Of course it doesn't rule out a social conditioning element which could span each ethnicity and socio-economic factor is the true cause of the difference. Unlikely, but possible.

Seriously people, don't get so bent out of shape and learn to accept there are perhaps slight differences between men and women. I love and respect women for all the things that they bring to the table that the average man does not. Each have there strengths and weaknesses. Don't get so worried when one measure of a persons intellegence is higher than another. It has no practical implications. Enough said, peace out.

Are men smarter?

Michael Mathews, Quincy Illinois — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 08:11:08 GMT

OK one simple question... Why do these statistics matter? We are so preoccupied with "what we can prove" that we are missing the "why should we prove it". Scientifically speaking, we are not gaining any useful knowledge from this research. Is this one man's attempt to incontrovertibly mask his own inferiority or support his delusions of grandeur?

This information seems only to reinforce stereotypes... are we trying to profile each other now? How will this information be used, or rather abused.

Should we no longer allow men into math classes because some test subjects showed that they were inherently more adept at it? Or are we ONLY going to allow men in...

Why should we prove that one is smarter than the other?

Are men smarter?

tracy, southern california — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 08:29:50 GMT

Differences exist between the 'XX' and the 'XY' groups with respect to mental functioning.

This should come as no surprise to any human who has lived in this world.

The fact that tests can be devised to measure and correlate some of these differences is admirable.

To assert that the test-results indicate a slight "advantage" to males or females when score-differences are something like 1/4 of a standard deviation is placing unwarranted confidence in the design and implementation of this *test*.

"signal to noise ratio" ... I think I hear more noise in this instance.

Are men smarter?

MM, Bangor, ME — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 10:51:12 GMT

There are too many uncontrollable variables to make these IQ tests and comparisons even remotely valid. I don't believe anyone can begin to approach the level of unbiased thinking needed to even compose a test worth taking to calcuate IQ. If men and women are different on so many levels, who's to say that the very phrasing of questions on the tests taken aren't biased? Looking for ways to maximize learning would be a much better allocation of funds than this current thread of IQ research. Accorign to various tests, I am "more intelligent" than my fiance, but he received the same or better grades than me for the most part in college(we took the same classes and earned the same degrees). Why? Hard work, motivation, and interest. I'd gladly pay a few IQ points to possess more of those qualities. "Measure" intelligence if you want, but it will never equal success.

Are men smarter?

Brad, Dallas TX — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 10:53:00 GMT

Except for the fact that there are studies that show that any one person's "IQ" varies by several points throughout the course of any day.

SAT scores show only one thing, how well prepared you are. I bombed my SATs for lack of any preparation whatsoever. I still earned my EE degree in the same amount of time as my HS valedictorian classmate and even obtained my P.E. license where he did not.

On one IQ test I scored 178, on another I scored 142. So what? I'd still suck as a doctor, a lawyer, or even a teacher. I have very little patience with children whereas my wife is a picture of tranquility with them. I'm great with my finances and paying bills, but I'm terrible at cleaning house or doing laundry. If left to my own devices I'd end up wearing dirty clothes all the time and the house would be cluttered with old mail, newspapers, and scribbled notes strewn about.

There are things I'm great at; there are things I suck at. This is the same for EVERYONE on the planet. That is basically what life boils down to, and we just hope we can find the person who is great at the thing we suck at.

This reminds me of a study I read several years ago about a British university professor spending millions of dollars to determine if dogs can count...

My response to that study was the same as the response to this study. "WHOOOOOOOOOO CARES?!"

Are men smarter?

Rachel, Danbury, CT — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 10:53:27 GMT

Interesting to see all the comments here from men about the remark that they can't find their socks. Why are men so defensive about finding socks? Maybe someone should some research on that. It would seem to be equally as useful as studies about which group of people is the most intelligent. Aren't there real problems out there for researchers to solve?

Are men smarter?

Wraith, Houston Texas — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 11:24:41 GMT

More scientific beating of a insignificant dead horse. DROP IT ALREADY! One is not better than the other, one is not supposed to be worse than the other it's about balance. You know, the concept of yin and yang. It's pointless to play these stupid games of "I'm better than you." both sides of the so called divide have something to bring to the table that allows for the continued existance of the human race. Neither side is better than the other both are required for survival. So basically STOP TRYING TO DRIVE WEDGES BETWEEN US!

Are men smarter?

Terri, West Linn, Oregon — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 11:50:40 GMT

This study is based on SAT scores. The SAT is not an IQ test.

Are men smarter?

John Doe — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 13:21:50 GMT

When I was 6 my math scores were at the top of the 99.9th percentile. So naturally, being a girl, I was placed in a pull-out gifted program - in English. My writing score was a measly 97th percentile, but we all know what girls are - and aren't - good at. Right?

Four years later my math abilities had literally deteriorated. I will never score in the 99.9th percentile again. The reason? Negative emotions interfere with my ability to compute. I remember fights with my mother, who both wanted me to get straight As on the one hand - and wanted me to never, ever forget that "boys don't like a girl who is too smart" on the other.

For years, I couldn't do math at all - and didn't want to. Give me a question and my mind would rebel. This has gone away as my natural interests in science have forced me to reexamine the role emotion plays in my abilities. Getting past the old baggage has revived my ability to engage. Not completely, but obviously I'll never be a scientist anyway. (I'm a writer. Ha! Get the joke?)

I wonder what the purpose of these studies is meant to be. It hasn't escaped my notice that IQ scores matter a lot when it comes to putting women down - but for all the arguing about whether women are naturally suited to be good scientists, I have yet to see a single argument to the effect that existing studies indicating women may have a slight edge in communication and interpersonal skills means that women are naturally better suited to, say, diplomacy.

Bias motivates these tests. You can see it by the way the test results and the interpretation are all bundled in together. What is "intelligence"? One would assume that, since men designed these tests to measure the traits they value, the definition of what counts as smart - and is therefore valued - is itself biased.

Are women defensive? Heck yes - this is sort of thing commonly used to keep women from gaining access to opportunities.

Are men smarter?

Ed — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 13:34:59 GMT

"One can either be a man of letters or a man of accomplishment.....I cater to being the latter" Leonardo da Vinci

In essence folks, degrees, IQ's, etc...are all BS- it's only accomplishment that matters, either personal, spiritua, or professional. Can't believe I wasted valuable time reading this blog crap!

Are men smarter?

Steve Smith South Pasadena, CA — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 14:44:30 GMT

The article makes no sense. SAT does not test IQ. IQ tests are needed to test IQ. SAT may measure academic achievement, but that's different from IQ.

Are men smarter?

Gail Horwitz, Atlanta GA — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 14:50:32 GMT

If it is not conditioning, then why are children's intellegence getting higher in general? If the next generation's intellegence is higher than the previous one then we may need to redefine our criteria. If our measurements are so off then this would point to something else going on in the way we measure intellegence (and this includes spacial intellegence).

It also seems to me that using that brain increases it's capacity to think. Children are learning to learn from an earlier age and our society focuses on learning and thinking much more now than when I was a child. We are changing from a physically - based society to a thinking and research society. There could be many reasons why our capacity to think is getting better.

Same thing is happening with women. Many women do dumb themselves down and the ones that don't are taught to shut up. I definitely tend to second guess any knowledge I think I vaguely remember and double check many things I might know. Men tend to assume they know the answer and then get proven wrong (or not) later. This has to do with conditioning, not hormones.

There are so many facets of our intellegence that have not been explored that this whole argument is absolutely ridiculous at this point. We are just scratching the surface here.

Are men smarter?

scott, Boston,MA — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 15:56:47 GMT

Unfortunately, in this world, because businesses are dominated by college grads, people's ability for success and advancement are measured by tests, grades and completion of degrees. True genius (discoveries, inventions and leadership) is created by peoples who have a passionate love of their fields and will do anything to achieve greatness in such. This can not be measured by tests. All the other people who got their positions via degrees, "knowing" someone, or lying their way into the door will eventually have to prove themselves in their line of work. If they don't, all their co-workers will know they are incompetent unless the co-workers are incompetent themselves...which a lot of them are.

Are men smarter?

David Bresson, Upland, CA — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 16:43:14 GMT

Who cares? Obviously men don't...so why should you? Your defensive comments don't make you sound smarter, and they will not make you test better. Be happy with who you are...men are.

Are men smarter?

Robert, Phoenix AZ — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 16:54:45 GMT

Men tend to be strong where women are weak, women tend to be strong where men are weak. The point is that we compliment eachother. That above all else should be remembered here.

Are men smarter?

Laura, Dallas — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 17:36:26 GMT

First, I am impressed with all the intelligent men out there who understand the stupidity of the study's results. Second, as a summa *** laude graduate of both undergrad (major in biology, minor in chemistry)and professional school, as well as an accomplished musician, I can tell you - women are highly intelligent! Thirdly, a few points difference in average scores are hardly significant. Obviously the intelligent men out there can see that, and the dumb guys, well, they will continue to be dumb.

Are men smarter?

Diana — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 18:03:30 GMT

Will a bit of lively debate over a few IQ points make people challenge themselves more, or focus more on educating themselves than on entertaining themselves? Will it spur anyone to greater achievements, as a way to prove their intelligence? Will it make anyone think twice about destroying a few brain cells to help them unwind? I doubt it. I don't really think we care that much. Being smart doesn't make you popular or successful, being liked does. People really just want to be liked, and to be liked you have to fit in, and fitting in works best if you're not too annoyed by others' stupidity.

Are men smarter?

psychophysics.slacker, AZ — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 19:38:17 GMT

Hahahaa... this is just amusing to read. To reiterate some of what people have said before: who cares? Last time I checked, males and females both have more to worry about than if one can score higher on a test than the other. The only purpose that studies like these fulfill is to momentarily create news. Come on, we all know that.

Are men smarter?

Jessica, Houston — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 19:50:13 GMT

Supporting an inherent, gender-based difference in intellectual capability is in itself a rather apparent display of low IQ.
Would you choose a male dog over a female because you think it would learn tricks more quickly?

Are men smarter?

Dennis McClain-Furmanski, Bluefield State College, Bluefield WV — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 20:01:33 GMT

IQ is based on mental and physical age. SATs don't measure mental age, so deriving IQ from them is erroneous. SATs supposedly measure problem solving ability, but it's impossible to differentiate natural problem solving ability from learned problem solving ability, and the SATs aren't designed to even try to do that. The general intelligence factor "g" is a "construct", somewhere between a theory and a hypothesis, and not all cognitive psychologists agree it exists. Many believe there are instead different kinds of intelligence. In short, there are too many incorrect and/or unsupported assumptions involved here to conclude that this study has anything to tell us other than it got the results it got, and any conclusions made are strictly assumptions. I'm going to hand out the article in class for an exercise in internal and external validity (or lack thereof). When we get to the chapter on intelligence, I'm going to do what I always do -- show a videotape of the top researchers and theorists in the field completely failing to agree on pretty much everything about intelligence except the fact that there are many other viewpoints than theirs. My own personal viewpoint is that comparing male and female intelligence makes as much sense as comparing dog and cat intelligence. Our brains are different, our thinking is different, and I believe that whatever it is that constitutes intelligence in us is also different.

Are men smarter?

AD, Victoria, BC — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 20:11:26 GMT

I do not believe that it can be assumed that one gender is smarter than another, just as one cannot compare the intelligence of two different people. It takes more than just memorizing a list of formulas or some science textbook to succeed in the world. A person must also have social skills and other such traits in order to get anywhere. It is not right to say that one person is smarter than another on the basis of perhaps you think that being good at math is more valuable than being gifted at piano. Sure, males may be more talented in some area than females but females are more skilled in other areas as well. I do not believe that intelligence is something that can be measured on a scale.

Are men smarter?

jason, los angeles, ca — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 20:11:42 GMT

I'm no expert, but it seems to me that IQ, SAT scores, etc. might measure a particular kind of intelligence relating to a variety of skills centered around reading, writing, and abstract thought. This sounds a bit narrow to me if we are talking about the truly broad concept of intelligence. A friend of mine who studied neuroscience (a woman) told me that men tend to be better at abstract reasoning. This might explain the minor difference in test scores.

It's my personal conviction that women are more social beings and I'm curious if these so-called 'intelligence tests' really measure anything like empathy or things relating to human social interaction.

On the other hand, it is worth noting how few of the great scientific and engineering innovations have come from women.

There can be no doubt that men and women have complimentary skills to a large extent. It also seems obvious to me that some men think like women and vice versa.

This study is interesting, but I wouldn't read too much into it. It's a pretty narrowly defined definition of intelligence.

Are men smarter?

Max — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 20:12:47 GMT

IQ tests mean nothing to me. Boys are not doing so well in scholastic achievements. It would probably be best to state that they are doing horrendous in school, and men are not doing much better in college. Women are excelling over them by light years. If anything, boys and young men need to focus on improving their "intelligences" in school and in college instead of focusing so much on video games, drugs, sex, and other frivolous things. This change of focus will hopefully rid them of the "Boys (Men) Are Stupid" condemnation. What is the point of having a higher IQ if you are failing and dropping out of school, opting out of college, and committing atrocious crimes? What is the point in having a higher IQ if you are incapable of preparing a decent homecooked meal, keeping your house tidy and clean, and nurturing and taking care of children? When boys and men begin to excel in high school and college, and can wrestle the domestic realm without help from a "significant other," then we'll talk about how intelligent they are. Right now, boys and men are about as dim-witted as a feather adrift in a breeze.

Are men smarter?

Anun, New York, NY — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 20:21:00 GMT

I just find it hilarious we can't type "Summa *** Laude" in the comments.

Are men smarter?

Michelle Hamrick, Birmingham, AL — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 22:33:21 GMT

I agree with Blum's bottom line that it is not useful to engage in a gender war over intelligence. It's well known that IQ, SAT and other standardized tests are not perfect. Men and women are different- the sooner we all come to terms with it the better. Equality does not mean sameness. However, I am left with a bad taste in my mouth about the way this study is presented. Wouldn't it be more practical if the study included groups of men and women at different ages. In the interview Rushton blows off the evidence that teenage girls show an average higher IQ than their male counterparts. I would find a longitudinal study over the course of MANY years much more telling personally. That being said, I would also like to point out that there are many brilliant minds who do nothing... and many people of average intelligence who change the world. In my experience drive and self discipline are much more accurate predictors of success.

Are men smarter?

J. Woz, new buffalo, MI — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 01:43:11 GMT

As I recall, IQ was originally conceived as your mental age (MA) times 100 divided by your chronological age (CA)and sometimes designated as the "volume" of your brain. I believe that they ,the so-called pros, are trying to measure a moving target with basically static tools. What is being measured, I believe, is aptitude not intelligence. Intelligence, I believe is the ability to conceive the correct response to a myriad of changing events that life confronts us with on a daily, moment by moment basis. The "correct response" being that which allows us to be around for the next challenge.
Why are home schooled children so much smarter than those educated within our school systemd? Maybe because they are being taught by people who really care rather than by those who need a source for a paycheck. Maybe we need a better means of selecting those we allow to teach our children. Wouldn't that be novel, test the teacher wannabes?

Are men smarter?

Alan Boyle — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 02:15:46 GMT

Thanks so much all your comments... Just thought I'd throw in a couple of miscellaneous points:

I think even the researchers behind the study agree that the SATs don't really measure intelligence. They tried to extract questions that *they* thought would reflect this g factor that they talk about (general intelligence), and they claim that the g factor is a good indicator of future performance of tasks requiring intelligence. Of course all that can be ... and is ... disputed.

The survey took in selected questions from the SAT scores for 46,509 males and 56,007 females. The paper (linked from the item) goes into the details about standard deviation, correlation, etc.

Are men smarter?

norafe ragaza,cebu, philippines — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 02:36:39 GMT

for me, no one is perfect and that no one is superior or inferior to others.all of us are equal because all of us have dignity as persons.so, it does'nt matter if who'se smarter.

Are men smarter?

James Hamilton — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 02:39:31 GMT

4-5 points of variance in an IQ test is marginal to say the best. The article explained a good probable reason that men scored higher and that is that perhaps that men are better test takers then women.

This is about as authoritative as taking a blind phone survey to determine the percentage of the population that is obese.

Are men smarter?

Thomas, Calgary — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 04:43:23 GMT

My daughter is in junior HS and had a measured IQ of 83 in Grade 3. I know my daughter better than any test could hope to reveal. I never believed this result even though she was in a assisted learning program at school. Today her measured IQ "mysteriously" was measured at 118! The psychologist told us that this is rare and that IQ is usually something that is SET basically and not subject to much change. HAHAHA!

Are men smarter?

Al Parsons. Ottawa. Canada — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 05:19:53 GMT

Shouldn't all these tests be age related? an IQ of X at age 15 should indicate some value over a 20 year old with the same X.
AT 92 with an enlistment IQ of 112 in world war 2, am I smarter or otherwise if I am alive now but some one who had a higher score but died last year at 91.

Are men smarter?

Roger W Isom, Aberdeen WA — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 05:46:25 GMT

Are men smarter???? Two words.....
PARIS HILTON!!!!! LOLOL Need I say MORE??? LOLOL

Are men smarter?

Joseph McDonald, Salem, OR — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 07:02:22 GMT

We need to be careful with IQ testing. I have found that tests will usually test the tools you pick up along the way rather than your ability to use them. Say for instance you are given a mathmatical question and you have never taken math. You fail the test because you dont have that tool. You could be an Einstein and still fail that portion of the test. There needs to be a test that can test you on how you deal with a situation rather than what tools you use. Until we can come up with such a test, we will always question the results of any "IQ" test.

Are men smarter?

DSW, Washington DC — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 13:14:40 GMT

Actually, its the "physiology" of test taking--men are very linear (pretty much think of one thing at a time); women are multi-taskers, which when it comes to test taking causes them to think about the topic more in depth. With timed tests, this "complex" aspect of women can be a liability. Men aren't smarter, they're dumb enough to do well on tests.

Are men smarter?

Reys, K.B., Brunei — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 17:19:58 GMT

People.... people.... why bother such a test when what we really know is that men and women are genetically different but are still human. All human are the same, its their genes that make them different. Take for example, if among a group of men of 5000, 2500 are, by coincidence, with the IQ and intelligence comparable to that of women, does that make them women? No of course not, duh.... We are human, why judge ourselves? Why differentiate ourselves? We are not as smart as each other because there are no 2 person in this world that are genetically the same unless you are cloned. Every single human being has their own intelligence, unique so to say, who cares whether men are smarter or women are smarter. Those that care such thing might as well spend more time thinking of how to make the world a better place to live. So what if let say women are actually smarter than men, does it mean that all the employees and employers out there are going to be women? Heck NO!!! The point is that there are no "The smartest person" in the world because there will be someone smarter.

"For human are still immature, they only feel safe by comparing...."
-Reys

Are men smarter?

Darla; Jacksonville, FL — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 21:31:10 GMT

Our society does not encourage girls to be interested or to excel in spatial/mathematical skills.

Let's remember that Einstein was HORRIBLE at math in his youth. His teachers gave him up as a failure. He had a form of dyslexia that made math particularly difficult for him. What led him to be one of the greatest mathemeticians of the modern age? He formed a personal interest in the origins of the universe, and how the universe works. He wanted to read the mind of God, so to speak. His consuming curiosity led him to overcome his mathematical shortcomings.

IQ tests do not measure motivation or creativity. Give girls a reason to be good at math, and they will be as good as the boys, if not better.

I would agree that women are different, but only in what motivates us. We are interested in life, because we are makers of life. Girls who like science may be more interested in the life sciences. They may want to be doctors, veterinarians, marine biologists, or pharmacists. If a little girl awakes to the relationship between math and the life sciences, her interest in math may increase accordingly.

I can remember the day when an influential teacher steered me into an emphasis on verbal studies and away from science. I was quite good at life science in elementary school, and I wanted to be a vet. No one EVER explained to me that good math skills could lead me to a lucrative career in veterinary medicine. In fact, my desire to be a vet wasn't taken particularly seriously.

Are men smarter?

D. Boyle, Fox River Grove, Ill. — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 17:36:54 GMT

From an evolutionary standpoint, it stands to reason that any measurable component within a specie can vary to some greater or lesser degree. Saying that men are stronger than women probably wouldn't evoke much comment. But smarter? Oh yeah, that'll raise some hackles. But why shouldn't there be a difference? Intelligence - so long as it's measured consistently - should show that one or the other of the sexes is smarter. We didn't have the same functions 100K years ago, so it shouldn't be surprising that our great, great, great, great grandfathers and grandmothers had a better chance of survival if the one was better at hunting and the other at gathering, and the two together better than the dopes in the next cave over.

It's too bad that rigorous tests weren't performed on males and females of the planet before all this gene mixing occurred. Which sex had the best eyesight? The best memory? Which could run faster, or could run longer. Or (you fill in the blank).... Step back a few millennia and finding hard reasons why men are better at A and women at B isn't hard to see. And I'd be surprised if some if not most features of our physiology don't vary by more than a measly 3%.

Are men smarter?

ali, corona,ca — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 18:40:35 GMT

On my SAT I was higher in math than in English and I am a woman. I don't think gender necessarily specifies which kind of things you will understand easier. I think everyone is different on how they learn and trying to group people based on anything (gender, race, whatever) when it comes to learning is not a great idea. But as far as saying men being deemed smarter on average by 3.63 percent doesn't bother me a bit as a woman, because to get along in our society intelligence is certainly not a requirement.

Are men smarter?

James Buchanan, Laurel, MD — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:28:03 GMT

Ok, lemme ask this. Long term view here. Who cares? Unless we're talking about a VAST difference in computational ability, which we're not, the only purpose of the discussion outside of a purely academic or medical standpoint is to start needless drama. A few IQ points, with all the variation over the full range represented by either gender is not something I'm going to lose sleep over.

Are men smarter?

TSG, Jamestown, NY — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 22:46:45 GMT

I believe that this type of research has very few practical applications. I also believe that the issue at hand is acceptance of natural differences between the sexes, races, etc.. Each of us have abilities that are greater or lesser than others. Women and men are different.(check under the "hood") We must accept that these differences are variations of normal.

Are men smarter?

Carolyn Pa. — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:05:20 GMT

it's really very depressing to read this blog and see so many people including women believing and re-enforcing all too common sexist gender myths. I suggest you look up online the major extensive meta-analyses of 100's of research studies done by all different psychologists for over 20 years, called The Gender Similarities Hypothesis which was published in American Psychologist last September and found that in most psychological traits and abilities,cognitive,verbal,personality,communication,leadership,self-esteem etc the sexes are much more alike than different!

The American Psychological Association posted an article about her findings on their web site in a section called Gender Matters called Men and Women:No Big Difference Studies Show That One's Sex Has Little Or No Bearing On Personality,Cognition and Leadership.They also posted an article which includes Dr.Hyde's findings called,Think Again:Men and Women Share Cognitive Skills Research Debunks Myths About Cognitive Differences Psychologists Have Gathered Solid Evidence That Boys or Girls or Men and Women Differ in Very Few Significant Ways That Would Matter At School Or Work in How,and How Well They Think.

There is a lot of evidence that shows that the human female and male brain in is more alike than different and also that the brain is plastic and easily changed and shaped by the interaction with different enviornments,life experiences,and traing. Even neuroscientist Dr.Doreen Kimura who has made claims about some cognitive sex based differences in the brain,and was criticized in the excellent thorough book Myths of Gender:Biological Theories About Women and Men by Brown University biology professor Anne Fausto-Sterling, admits on several online articles and she told the Christian Science Monitor in 2002 that in the human male and female brain,the similarities far outweigh the differences.

I also have an excellent out of print 1979 book written by two parent child development psychologists Dr.Jeanne Brooks-Gunn and Wendy Schempp Matthews called He and She:How Children Develop Their Sex Role Idenity. In this book they go from birth to the teen years and they document many important great research studies by psychologists over decades that shows that girl and boy infants are actually born biologically more alike than different with few differences,but are still perceived and treated very differently from the moment of birth on by parents and other care givers. I spoke to Dr.Jeanne Broks-Gunn (who is an award winning parent child psychologist at Columbia University) in 1994 and I asked her how she can explain all of these studies and experiments that show that female and male babies are born more alike than different with few differences,but are still perceived and treated so differently from birth on by parents and other care givers and she said,that's due to socialization and she said there is no question that socialization plays a very big part.

I also recently found an excellent important paper online by psychologist Justin Bailey of Framingham State College called,Men Are From Earth,Women Are From Earth where he explains that the media and society constantly exaggerates gender differences,despite the fact that research has consistently shown that women and men are more similar than different. He has Dr.Janet Hyde's meta-analysis among many other great research studies in his references. He explains tha after over 100 years of testing there has never been support for the postulation that men and women differ in overall intelligence. He explains that the assumption that large gender differences exist for many other abilities is also not supported. Female advantages in interpersonal skills,nurturance,or verbal abilities are often nonexistent or overestimated.He then explains,popular stereotypes,such as the "non-communicative male" the "map-reading deficient" female,or the "alpha-leader"-male males make better leaders,the differences between men and women are only 1 % or less for verbal ability,verbal aggression,spatial ability,communication,reactions towards infants,and leadership. Despite decades of searching for differences,the evidence does not support large or even moderate gender differences much less a "different worlds" analogy.

Are men smarter?

Elizabeth Goodman, Carrollton Georgia — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 00:28:15 GMT

hey, as a 15 year old girl its interesting to see that boys actually get smarter (lol, just kidding), because at this age in my life the majority of honor roll students are girls and I believe that out of the top ten in my class of about 400 all but one of them are girls (and the boy is 3rd in the class). It seems that boys are more interested in doing well in sports and popularity than doing well in academic areas and clubs. But i'm sure as they mature, they'll catch up intelligence wise as well, thanks for the article!

Are men smarter?

TheFallibleFiend, LORTON, VA — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 01:26:20 GMT

Einstein was not 'horrible' at math in his youth. That's an urban legend.

Are men smarter?

Carolyn — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 05:04:26 GMT

I just noticed I made a few typing mistakes. But I also have to add some more important neccessary information. Dr.Justin Bailey points out what so much research and evidence finds,when he explains that there are more often much more individual people differences found. And as he says, Men differ from other men,and women differ from other women in thousands of ways,such as age, intelligence,family background,personality,income,self-esteem,education,physical health,race,attitudes and interests,sexual orientation,or vocational aspirations and he says infact a randomly-selected man is more likely to have more in common with a randomly-selected woman than he would have with another randomly-selected man.He also says that despite an interest in equality,gender role expectations impact how parents raise their children,how teachers and counselors interact and advise students and how employees interact in the workplace.And he said that overestimating gender differences may lead to inappropiate gender segregation and continued overt and covert sexism.

I also have an excellent important book by social cognitive psychologist Dr.Gary Wood from the University of Birmingham called,Sex,Lies and Stereotypes:Challenging Views Of Women,Men and Relationships. He also provides a lot of strong evidence based psychologiocal and biological reserach and evidence that shows that the sexes are far more similar than different psychologically and biologically. He emphasizes how the clitoris,and penis,the female vulva and male ***,and ovaries and testicles all come from the same tissue and are very similar to each other. He also explains that the verbal and math ability has been found to be really small,and aggression has been found to be a moderate difference. He also explains that if we practice something enough it can produce physical changes in the brain,and that this is how we learn. He also shows how these limiting gender roles,gender myths and stereotypes are very harmful to both sexes mental and physical health because they only allow girls and boys and men and women to become a half of a person instead of full rounded human people. He shows how recognizing all of this can free both sexes to develop a express all of their shared *human* traits and abilities and make relationships between them better. He too explains that there are often much greater differences found between people. By the way,to one of the posters on here who said that the sexes have different hormones the truth is we have the exact same hormones just different degrees of the same ones mixed and the amount can vary between men and men and between women and women as well.

Are men smarter?

Barrie, Los Angeles, CA — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:28:16 GMT

It's interesting to me how much value our society puts on standarized testing. The cult of averages seems to trump real research and true analysis. IQ has long been regarded as a flawed yardstick, and yet we still seem to use it to self-validate our worth as human beings. How very odd.

Are men smarter?

Adam, Hebron CT — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 17:51:03 GMT

If men are so smart, how come they can never find their own socks?

-Ann

Because a woman put them away?

-Adam

Are men smarter?

Jane, Southern Mississippi — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 02:44:39 GMT

Are men smarter than women? Whether they are or are not, let them think they are.

Are men smarter?

may,angeles,philippines — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 02:49:16 GMT

woman are smarter than man?
dont you know that plenty of man are weak?
because they don't know how to handle their problems..
they just think that drugs is the best solution or suicide rather...more man are commiting suicide than woman in a day..

Are men smarter?

Dawn Marie, Oakland, NJ — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 14:46:43 GMT

It is an interesting study but I also believe that we must take in to consideration that for years women believed they were not required to think and therefore, education was not their main priority. They had to be more concerned about their physical attributes so that they could land a rich suitor and for those beautiful women being bought by a rich suitor, it was and continues to part of our society. The richer you are, the younger and more beautiful you can attract. Anyhow, something to consider is when we look at the Japanenese culture. Education is their main priority. Westerners automatically assume Japanese are smarter. It is not how they were born, it is how they are developed. So when a society views the importance of education to be gender specific, it is therefore reflected in scores. I am considered a genius and two of my siblings were identified as having a genius IQ, as well. My mother was identified as a genius and my father was considered highly gifted. My strongest subjects are science and math, which according to the studies does not appear to be the main strength in women. However, people are different and quite possibly, the view of education in the home may play a crucial role. As for performing a study comparing today's generation of young adults, we live in a society where physical attributes and finances seem to have taken first priority above everything else, so you are comparing women that are more focused with their physical appearance rather than education. Men are concerned with how much money they will make so their concern would run paralell to intellect. They feel that with unlimited cash disposal, they can buy anything they want, including women. (And this was based on a study performed with 50 young men and 50 young women) done for school purposes. As for men having a higher IQ than women, a few points, in my opinion, is nominal. My husband often complains that I frighten people because of my intellect. He says they want to get to know you because you are very attractive but then they run because they do not know how to relate. So I say, let them run. There is nothing wrong with an intelligent female, however, our society still has a problem mixing brains with physical appearance when it comes to women. Yes, they may want some brains but men do not appreciate having a woman that exceeds him either financially or intellectually!

Are men smarter?

JC, Fairbank, AcK — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 09:47:11 GMT

To Amy Townsend:
"I absolutely agree with JC's point about nurturing a child's interest/ability in "hard" sciences at a very early age. It surely worked with me."
But there're quite a few kids with the same 'bent' you have that are (how shall I put it?) "turned away" I guess, from "hard science and engineering" because that's what they're EXPECTED to do by 10 or 12. Then, unless they have exceptional parents, they're expected to 'get with the program', whether or not they're interested in circuits, trusses, volcanoes or stars. A certain # of the survivors have passed through here where I work. But, based purely on ability, "hard" science and engineering shouldn't be weighted 10:1 like it is, Amy T.

Are men smarter?

John Doe, Seattle, Wash — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 11:00:33 GMT

Hi. I'm a boy, and my sister is much smarter than me.

That is the logic used by 97% of you.

I guess 3% can make a difference.

Are men smarter?

Rhiannon Coppin, Vancouver, BC — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 19:44:55 GMT

I find it funny that Fred Mello of Oregon referred in a previous post to women's "fragile egos" as if men didn't have those too. What a hoot! I'll be sure to pass that info on to my mother next time she needs a chuckle.

As for a few other posts that remark on the dearth of women in history making important scientific discoveries and engineering innovations, well, provided you weren't first married off and made pregnant, I'll argue that the funded opportunities in engineering at least weren't (and aren't) that attractive to women.
The development of engineering and the history of engineering is interwoven with the progress of warfare technology and the economics of conquest -- that's where the money and the drive for innovation came from. That's also where a significant portion of present investment and research in engineering comes from.

Perhaps I'm biased in the following claim, but I believe that women weren't (and aren't) too interested, overall, in perpetuating war and conquest.

It's not that women can't do engineering because of some inferior intelligence in maths, etc. - I had a hard time myself finding male lab partners to work with who could pull their own weight next to me - but at some point, I suspect a number of women find that the work available doesn't reflect their values.

Are men smarter?

Medusa — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 01:13:54 GMT

It is an assumption that similar traning will yield similar results.

No matter how much equality or training you may impose, women will never be a majority in any leading field.

Women can become fighter pilots, but a better man could be found to replace any of them. On the other hand, a completely female air force would put us at a disadvantage to a similarly equipped enemy.

It's a short step from war to science and business. That 3% makes ALL the difference in the world when it is "life or death" or competition. That difference in reality becomes important when you try to prove discrimination, or the existance of the so called wage gap, and the glass ceiling.

After all these years, since hippies became mothers and dressed their boys in pink; all the brainwashing in the world has yet to produce a female Grand Master (chess) or any significant women noble prize winners. (In fact we seem to going backwards since Mdm. Curie)

I'm still trying to get over the women inventor of "Airborne".

No, and truly, I think women prefer it that way. Another women blogger kept saying how smart she was and then married the only guy she could find that was smarter than her.

Yes, men function better in a man's world. Some ancient societies that had women in control did not survive the test of time.

Yes, men score better on tests that are designed for what men do best. Is anyone suggesting we change that? Should we change the test so women score better?

There could be an exception to the way things are, but that would require questioning the capitalist system itself and I don't see anyone doing that.

Are men smarter?

Varsha Gadekar, Pune, Maharashtra India — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:36:35 GMT

What I think is, gender is no bar when it comes to intelligence and IQ. The brain grasps more and learns more when we are at the age from 2-12 around. At this age one should experience with treating the girls and boys at the same level and giving them equal opportunities. After that, when their own decision making attitude is built, the researcher should note the details of their progress. This can be one of the tests which will help us to prove the minimum accurate results on this point of moot.
The only SAT test, and questions can not help us to prove and analyze this result. The basic growth of child is important when it comes to the Intelligence Emotional IQ.

Are men smarter?

Ed Pardo — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 18:09:42 GMT

I would suggest replacing the I for Intelligence with an A for aptitude to make the test results more indicative of what they really are.

Are men smarter?

That Guy — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 23:37:18 GMT

I NEVER blog, but this is the exception.. Does it all really matter? Its like trying to measure love... Far too subjective to apply to anything...

Are men smarter?

Vanessa F., Farmington, New Mexico — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 22:09:11 GMT

Ok. being a lady and having to say men are smarter, just doesn't seem fair. But, in reality they are. Because, we live in a world that was created by men, Therefore we must abide by their rules. Now if we lived in a world women thought up, what would that be like?

Are men smarter?

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 19:31:50 GMT

Look at this scientist's other findings. Research points to where you want it to. A recent UBC study shows that women perform poorly on math tests when they are given biological explanations of women's inherent inferiority in the subject. When they are given no such explanations, they perform much better. How does this relate to the IQ tests? Women are not as secure, women are socialized differently. The spatial/verbal split makes sense. The genders are different. I don't think that 'men' are smarter, I think some men are, and some women are. Women wouldn't have been put in charge of propagating the species if they were so dumb. Think of all that has been lost when women aren't taught that they are smart?

Are men smarter?

Girl — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 06:05:58 GMT

That is not at all true! Women nowadays do better in school than guys do!

Are men smarter?

John R MN — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:37:21 GMT

Einstein,newton,Divinci,Galileo,Franklin.We should not have to decide who is more intelligent, history has all ready spoken,but has there intelligence really helped us or mearly caused our extinction?

Are men smarter?

Bob A., Chicago, IL — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:41:00 GMT

Explaination from a male piglet like myself is purely a matter of my personal opinion, however even attempting to consider women on the same scale as men is a gross misconception. Women have in my opinion much more ability by being able to multi task that being slightly different in a few areas is not what I would label less intelligent. I personally believe that Women are smarter than men but those same abilities get in the way of some focused thinking once in awhile. I still would and do take their advice 7/8 out of 10 times.

Are men smarter?

rey garcia — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:45:07 GMT

I think that gender plays a big role in our intelligence. But it is what we WANT to know that ultimatley determines it. For instance, we as men want to know how stuff works. This brings us to mathematics, science, mapping, etc... but we as men are brought up to be just that MEN. For instance lets go way back in time. men want to go out hunt, bring food, build. That ultimatley leads to the things the things we're supposedley smarter at. For as women were to clean, bear children,comfort ect.., which leads to interaction with people better. but all in all i think eventually we cancel each other out.

Are men smarter?

arthritic46yearoldmale — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:09:31 GMT

A male trackstar runs just a little smarter than a female one, but they both smoke me. Let's judge each person on their own actual abilities, not some silly gender range that has only a ew applications in the millions of tasks everyone does everyday.

Are men smarter?

NYB — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:10:57 GMT

Was the test written by just male researchers or was there some female input on it? Most physical anthropoloists have completely discounted brain size as a sign of intelligence. This notion that hearkens back to Victorian sensiblities that sought to prove inferiority of the different races and genders through brain size. They even went as far as to decide that women and male artists had smaller brains than scientists. If that line of thinking is followed then a very large man would be potentially smarter than a smaller one (think about the people you know and get back to me on this one), you have to address this notion at all levels. Even elluding to brain size as a measure is very a archaic and psudeo scientific line of thinking. Do I beleive that men and women process information and think differently, sure. I think that individuals process infromation differently as well and has little to do with actual intelligence or gender. However in this world of categories and measures, everything must be neatly logged and fit into it's appropriate box (especially if you want funding) Luckily as humans we have a lot of flexibility and diversity in the population for such things, at a level statistics and their interpretation will always be limited to tidy clean sheets of paper. Life is much messier and measures of intelligence means little outside of context. In the end, who but the scientists the people pushing an agenda for their own abuses and the people who love these kinds of studies to boost tabloid sales really benefit.

Are men smarter?

Gary Schmad, Encinitas, CA — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:12:57 GMT

Vive la Difference!

Are men smarter?

M.W.w.Naples, FL. — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:14:50 GMT

Although my husband has a better education & upbringing than me, I score 12 points higher on the IQ tests. I handel tools better & I can read a map with ease. I know where N-E-S- & W are at any give moment & can tell time by the location of the sun.

My problem is dyslexia which often tends to get in my way . I guess that is part of being left handed

Oh yes, to the question who is more intelligent all I have to say is that mother nature trusts its future generations to the moms.

Are men smarter?

Igiveup — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:25:32 GMT

What we have learned from this study is that men have tested their standardized tests and theories under the parameters that they have deemed to matter and once again found the results they were looking for. I can't believe they still hand out funding for this kind of number crunching, but then again some members of the population need continuious "scientific" proof to valitate and push their agenda unfortunately leading to the continued and irresponsible abuses of the "other" part of the population be it gender, race or sexual orientation. I suspect there is a study out there on which is more intelligent the democrats or the republicans of course based on sound demographic, educational and enconomic data....ugh.

Are men smarter?

Dale, Portland, Oregon — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:55:38 GMT

I found the study showing men to have a slightly higher IQ on the average than women refreshing just from the point of political correctness. That is, if a study is truly done objectively, none of us should be afraid (as many of these comments indicate that they are) of learning the truth about intelligence of any particular group. What is really to be feared is ignorance and misapplication of knowledge. So what if men are slightly more intelligent than women ON AVERAGE. That should make absolutely no difference in how we treat one another or our expectations of each other. It may be helpful to know of differences in apptitude when politicians start throwing around statistics that try to prove discrimination toward any particular group. Apptitude for a particular activity may acctually be a better explanation than discrimination in many instances. Gee, I wonder why there aren't more Japanese-Americans playing in the NBA? Are they being discriminated against? You think? Or could it have something to do with height? Admitedly, one must be very careful in interpreting the results of these studies or unfair practices can result. However, I do think there is value in knowing what reality actually is. Do you?

Are men smarter?

Jeff, Vancouver, WA — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 23:10:55 GMT

Of course men are smarter. Why is that? Because women are incapable of inventing things that men would think of. You think a woman would be able to go "hmmmmm I think I'll invent the plane". Of course not. Instead they would go "Hmmmm it looks dangerous...naw I'll pass it by". This is why the world is run by men, invented by men, created by men because men are capable of doing things while women are can't decide half the time what they want to do. Its true.. just look at shopping, etc. Women are clueless half the time. Smarter? Yeah right.

Are men smarter?

Proud woman, Billings, MT — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 07:06:49 GMT

I am a little shocked after reading the comments posted here that this is still actually a debate. My husband has a bigger head than me...does that make me automatically less intellegent than he is? Do I care? I know how intellegent I am and to me that's all that matters. The "study results" vaguely state that men MAY be more efficient at one thing while women MAY be more efficient at another. It does not state that this is the case EVERYTIME. I was an editor of a newspaper, a published writter, and in college (six years after graduation) I tested into the junior level english class. So what. I was also in calculus and physics. I am now working for a financial institution and work with math everyday. Does this lower my value as a woman? Did I "dumb myself down"? No. My husband values the fact that I know more about the "subjects" I enjoy. And guess what? He knows more about the sujects he is interested in. Coincedence? Also I noticed there were several comments about the "fact" that women have not made any real cultural or scientific achievments or contributions. How about the fact that many female writters and painters had to go under a MAN'S name to be successful? This was a common occurence even into the 1900's. Is it so far fetched to believe that women may have had to do the same with scientific and mathmatical findings? If they were not published under a man's name I'm sure they were discredited. Thank goodness we live in a world where men and women can both give their opinions without having to do the same.

Are men smarter?

Drew, Nashville Tn. — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 06:56:02 GMT

The standard deviation of the IQ test is 15. With the average IQ being 100, if a male's IQ is 5 points higher (105) this would give him a Z score of .33 This would mean that men are brighter than 62.93% of the rest of the population....... It's all a bunch of bull...... A person's drive makes them who they are in most cases, not gender.

Are men smarter?

John Doe, Seattle, Wash — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 01:11:38 GMT

Intelligence is way too subjective to use averages. There are just as many idiot men as women. The reason men always exceed is we have less self inflicted restrictions. Women are too worried about manners and not offending people but men arent as much. If a women went at this research she either wouldnt publish it or would be too affraid to even do it. If women didn't do this to themselves they could be just as good as men. Also men have more daring to approch something crazy or impractical. Most women would immediately write it off as dumb but a man is more likely to try. There are obviously men and women that this doesn't describe. These are just general remarks

Are men smarter?

william chevalier — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 15:00:50 GMT

I believe that intelligence is a function of genetics and environment influences. There are a convolution of environmental uncertainties that people face over their lifetimes that would create enough statistical noise to render the signal differences associated with the gender comparative intelligences null and void. These include learning opportunities, levels of stress, food and nutrition, exercise,social-emotional support,epigenetic changes etc., as just some of the major factors that when summed together over one's lifetime would create a time and event varying distribution of spectral statistical noise that would render the so-called closely comparative gender statistical results totally useless. This is much to do about nothing. One would have to test over a lifetime using representative samplying techniques to maybe filter out some of the noise, although, in essence, gender intelligence is too closely correlated.

Are men smarter?

Nat-Hardy, Va — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 00:53:00 GMT

Eve ate the apple, but hey, Adam did too! Confess your sins, believe on Jesus, and live your life for Him...you can't get much smarter!

Are men smarter?

Rachel, UT — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:53:15 GMT

I am currently doing reaserch on what sex is smarter beucase next week i will be doing a debate speech. i am the con of the subject "Women are smarter then men." it relates to "the intelegence" By looking at search results Alexander Grahm Bell, Louis braille, Leonardo DaVinci, John Deere, George Eastman, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstine. they are all verry inteligent men.

Are men smarter?

Christi, NV — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:15:24 GMT

Honestly, I really do not place major emphasis on IQ tests in general. Far too many people exhibit test anxieties in general - and therefore knowledge that is present isn't always qualified within the scores. In addition, having book knowledge is not a precursor to having common sense. Without common sense to see someone through day to day life, it doesn't matter your brilliance in fields of math and science, when you can't do simple tasks of deciding the order in which to plan your day.

Are men smarter?

JC, Fairbanks, AK — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:35:36 GMT

To Rachel of Utah:
I hope you will also look up Rosalind Franklin, Lise' Meitner, and Marie Curie, ALL of whom had great flashes of brilliance in their fields, but are unsung.

Are men smarter?

jessmilesdonthurt, Orangeville, ont — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 03:21:53 GMT

Gender itself I believe has no effect, but gender roles do. Discrimination has caused females to feel less confident and they didn't do as well. Now with equal rights girls are beginning to succeed more intelligence wise. It is also the way people are brought up. I don't think women are smarter, and no, I don't think men are either. Both are equal in ability, now the question for every individual is how they use it.

Are men smarter?

K. Z. — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:44:42 GMT

The funny thing is that in Korea, far more women go into engineering than into business. The explanation there is that women don't possess the aggressive nature that's required to succeed in the business world. If you go to Asia, there is no such stereotype about girls not being good at math...so many of them go into quantitative fields. Just take a look outside your world for once.

Are men smarter?

Gerald Barnes New Jersey — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:48:24 GMT

Instead of trying to figure out who's smarter, men or women shouldn't we be trying to figure something actually useful out like I dont cure for cancer or aids or the numerous other terminal illnesses out their that have no cure? I dont know I may just be a simplton compared to these scientists but to me trying to find a cure for diseases that kill alot of people and plague parts of the earth makes alot more sense than trying to figure out if men are better than women or the other way around. Maybe next they'll do a study to see who's more likely to carry the cooties or if boys smell worse than girls. I think they should forget the whole thing and try to actually help out humanity instead of trying to divide it into the never ending male vs. female and who is better or more supirior. Its getting old.

Are men smarter?

rose in massachusetts — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:18:19 GMT

This was based on SAT scores... and it is a fact that a lot of kids (usually the children of the wealthy & upper middle class) get private tutoring before taking these tests... could it be that some kids are just being prepared better... ?

Are men smarter?

Rose from Massachusetts — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:41:14 GMT

Although I have an IQ score of 136, which is above average, many young men in my acquaintence, some of whom were in special ed & have a history of dropping out of school, literacy problems, delinquency & etc., continue to inform me that I'm just dumb 'cause I'm girl... Oh well.

Are men smarter?

Amanda B. — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:00:11 GMT

Self-objectification has been shown to lower math performance, and most women in our society self-objectify more than men. Women also suffer from poorer performance when taking a test in a co-ed environment due to "stereotype threat" ... in one study, women actually outperformed men on a math test when men and women took tests separately! Women also tend to suffer from more depression and anxiety and these issues can affect problem-solving ability and concentration. I know that Rushton also used old SAT scores (from 1991)...the SAT tests have been adjusted since then to reduce gender/racial bias (although not enough to eliminate the gap).

Sources: http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/30/10/1322
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/58/women-cant-do-mathor-can-they
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/09/000913083409.htm

I don't dispute Rushton's "findings"...it's common knowledge that white males outperform others on the SAT. But he's jumping to some odd conclusions about "innate ability", given other studies about how external and internal pressures on women affect math scores. His purported difference in IQ is small enough that stereotype threat could account for most of it. (Don't forget that this guy also tried to "prove" that Whites are innately smarter than Blacks using similar data...completely ignoring the stereotype threat or other social factors.)

Are men smarter?

Richard G. Carlson, Ventura, CA — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 04:52:27 GMT

I had the opportunity to study human brains firsthand some 35 years ago. I gathered data on normal male and female brains and conducted some basic statistical analyses on certain gross anatomical brain differences (beyond the obvious: i.e., male brains are larger on balance). When I had reason to tell my boss (an accomplished MD and good man) that I could tell a male brain from a female brain on the bases of gross structure, he went, as they say, ballistic! My boss, the good doctor, told me no such difference existed and he was not interested in seeing the proof I had discovered. (Many years latter some female MD's, in Canada as I recall, reported finding structural differences.)

I believe the reason my boss didn't want to know the truth back when I found it is the same reason most people (seeing the various "comments") don't want to face it now. The truth is a threat to a very pervasive ideology that I call the "sacredness of sameness"! It seems, a kind of religion of equality is threatened in the minds of most people. (By the way ladies, men who protest the notion that men are smarter believe they are; the really smart men tend to avoid the subject - so much for my IQ.)

One more point, Deborah Blum (the science writer) refers to the spatial advantage men have (needed in hunter-gatherers etc.) as a, "...evolutionary advantage for the men". For the record, men and women, in certain critical ways, are one biological unit; i.e., it is an advantage for men when women do well with babies and an advantage for women when men track and hunt well! I've argued for 30+ years that the average innate higher math ability in males is a direct artifact of the tracking skills advantage males have (in turn a result of sexual dimorphism resulting from one sex taking on the duty the other, to large extent, didn't). All in all, nothing to lather up about!

Are men smarter?

LOUIS , ::::::::: ;FLINT, MI — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:31:31 GMT

GIRLS AND BOYS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND VALUE KNOWLEDGE OVER BELIEF ARE EQUALLY INTELLEGENT. THIS QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED

Are men smarter?

Kathleen Kishimoto, Caribou, Maine — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:57:50 GMT

It's impossible to determine which sex is smarter! You can't just generalize by saying one is smarter than the other..... It's the same with women being stronger than men, women being smarter than men, men being stronger than women, men being smarter than women. It can go either way, in all honesty. Oh and your IQ is based off of your potential learning ability. You could have an average IQ and still be able to learn more than that of a person who has a lower one. Not to mention that tests can't really prove how intelligent one really is. It's just simply impossible! Women and men are equal, there is no way around it. One can not be better than the other as a whole, but rather it is to be judged by a person's own individual. As for me, I am above average and a female of fourteen years old. So what?! Is it "bad" for me to be intellectually advanced? Nobody has the upper hand in this situation. That's the end of it, thank you.

Are men smarter?

Sandy — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:34:49 GMT

Well, as a software engineer I'm assumed to be smarter than the average man. But the really marked difference is that I can communicate with everybody. Fortunately, I don't have to believe I'm a genius to get the job done. That female skill of enjoining the team in a consensus seems to override the out-of-control skills of our hotshot uber-programmers.

But, what about women who have above average spatial, mathematical, and verbal skills combined? I jest can't seem to fit in anywhere!

Are men smarter?

David, Denver, Colorado — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:39:39 GMT

Personally, I would like everyone to get off this IQ or G factor binge. No two people are physically the same, emotionally the same, trained the same or raised from the same perspective. Since none of us have any control over how we are raised, what we remember (or don't remember), and how our genes affect our health, we have no realistic means to make any valid comparison. Therefore, the only reason for a comparison at all is for the benefit of useless competition.

Are men smarter?

joey — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:02:38 GMT

So if women are so verbally and emotionally in tune why is it that so many have no sense of humor and take things so literally, sure some might say some of the jokes dudes make are "sophomoric", "immature", or "about turtles?". Men are said to over analyze, but every conversation with one's mother or wife is a sweaty interrogation! I think my point is that a sense of humor is a part of intelligence that is too often overlooked. I'm sure this won't get posted soooo (fart noise).

Are men smarter?

Sir Daniel, Memphis, TN — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:01:29 GMT

These tests describe populations and not individuals. Therefore, one's gender does not predict how intelligent a particular person will be.

I have not read these studies but I wonder if the standard deviations are the same. Is being male similar to being left handed? There are a disproportionate number of left handed superachievers as well as a disproportionate number of left handed underachivers. Therefore, being male incurs some risk in that he is more vulnerable to being at either end of the Gaussian curve. This makes sense as relatively few women have won Nobel Prizes as compared to men. Please recall that Marie Curie did so despite the prevalence of sexism at the time.

For the record, I am male heterosexual married and have a daughter. I expect that she will be a high achiever no matter what she chooses to do.

Are men smarter?

Philip Doe, Rockville, Maryland — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:00:54 GMT

Why can't men find their socks?

My experience is that men can't find a lot of things because their wife moved it somewhere without telling them. That also explains why the wife can find the socks.
On the other hand, very few men are in the habit of relocating their wife's unmentionables.

Are men smarter?

Alexandria, Pocomoke City, Maryland — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:01:24 GMT

SAT scores shouldnt count as a true IQ test, because they are based on knowledge taught in school and not the ability of the brain to function. What if somebody was never taught algebra, but they were obviously smarter? They would be borderline retarded on the SAT. However, I would accept the facts if the tests were given by a psychologist or psychiatrist (I don't know the difference, I'm only 17), and not a high school teacher.

Are men smarter?

Geistjagerin, Stony Brook, NY — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:05:27 GMT

It seems clear to me that the motivation for these studies is purely political. I mean, what did the researchers really show? They showed that a bunch of researchers took a non-random sampling of students--non-random because not all students take the SAT, you only need it if you want to go to college, and it is well-known that there are more women entering college than men, whatever the reason may be. They made an arbitrary decision of what questions on the test were the ones that *really* mattered, divided the hugely varied results into two groups with a near equal amount of variability within them based on a distinction as arbitrary as "gender" (what is gender anyway?). Then they condensed each of these hugely scattered ranges into singular "averages" and compared them. What do averages tell you about individuals in a sample? NOTHING. The average is a fabrication which gives the impression that it actually tells you something when in fact it tells you nothing. Its purpose is to abstract away all the oh-so-important and non-trivial particulars in order to focus on and magnify something singularly unimportant.

Averages lie. You would get the same difference in averages whether all the women in the study had an IQ of 98 and all the men an IQ of 102 as you would if all of the women had an IQ of 100 and all the men had an IQ of 98 except for a tiny sliver, say 5%, who had an IQ of 180. Would it then be more justifiable to say that women are smarter than men or men are smarter than women if 100% of the women were smarter than 98% of the men, and only 5% of the men were smarter than 100% of the women, yet the averages favored men?

My answer would be that neither is justified. This purpose of averages in these cases is to divide people into politically significant categories and dredge up some number which allows for easy generalizations, the better to oppress you and make you believe that rhetoric of the form “men and women are different” is somehow meaningful. These are politically-charged generalizations which covertly imply not just difference but sameness; as if all women were the same, and all men were the same, and every man differed from every woman in the exact same way. Are men and women different? Of course they are, if we’re going to be dividing people arbitrarily into categories. Men and women are different, and people with blue eyes are different from people with brown eyes, and short people are different from tall people. The problem with the categories “men” and “women” is that we treat them like natural kinds (as if such a thing could exist, even in principle), which is why people are so keen to jump to absurd conclusions like that girls and boys should learn separately because of gender differences (I’m not dissing single-sex education, I just think the justifications for it are different—namely, that it is gender itself which is incapacitating in our society, because it eschews real differences in favor of abstracted, meaningless differences).

Wake up people; it is simply not the case that men are smarter than women because intelligence is a feature of individuals, not groups. And given that this is the case, what do you think this statement could possibly mean to say? Averages are inviting us to gather up individual differences and distribute them equally among groups, and it is clear here that what people are trying to take from this is that men are smart and women are not, that in a cross-gender interaction the man is the smarter one, that gender is what makes us different, not our individuality, that gender is what defines us. So think about the political ramifications of what these studies are doing before you jump to any hasty conclusions. Be wary of anyone who tries to tell you that “men and women are different” or that “men and women are the same”.

Are men smarter?

Louis Snyder — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:41:14 GMT

Intelligence is an abstract concept. A man in France started the I.Q. thingy. Back then it was based on performance in school. One thing most psychometerist agree on is the notion that Intelligence is what the I.Q. exams test. As far as smart goes that is not necessarily what the tests test. Empathy is a more meaningful concept. I would rather be very empathic than very smart. That is where the real talent lies.
And the paper and pencil test used in public schools when I was in school had no real correlation with either the WAIS or the Stanford Binet scores. A real I. Q. test is individual and takes a trained and skilled examiner to even begin to interpret. I spent a long semester reading and studying to test I. Q. and after this I am very leary of the concept of high IQ. and the results are dependent on native tongue, reading and arithemetic skills, social background and a whole host of other varibales including age. The correlation between tests of achievement and Intelligence Quotient are is still nothing to brag about.

Are men smarter?

Asbi, Berlin MD — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:08:22 GMT

Are women less logical than men? Logic being widely accepted the valuable factor of intelligence.

Emotion vs Logic in relation to intelligence creates opposing results.

Raping, abusing, and enslaving other human beings is very productive; it is greatly beneficial to meeting one's own ends. It is lucrative and fulfills one's own desires. Is this harnessing of other humans potential for personal gain not intelligent?
Personally, I view this behavior as simple and barbaric. In fact, it is disgusting and contemptible to me. For a long time, however, this behavior was considered logical, intelligent, proper. One's views of intelligence will always be biased. I do not condone women belittling, degrading, oppressing, and hurting men, nor do I condone men doing the same to women. We are all partners in life, let's behave as such.
I think DWScott had it right, "Are bananas fruitier than oranges?"
Bananas probably think so and they will keep seeking out information to prove it.

I would enjoy further discussion. Feel free to message me at rebeccamckimmie@hotmail.com

Are men smarter?

Woman, seattle, WA — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:01:36 GMT

I don't believe that men are smarter than women. Men spend most of their time outside of the house either at work or hang out with their friends or study or doing something else other than doing house work. Thats how men gain their knowledge. Men have plenty of chance and time and support to improve their knowledge. On the other hand, Women spend most of their time at home doing housework and taking care of the family. Given the opportunity, support and time, women will prove that they are more smarter than men.

Are men smarter?

J. R., Washington — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:57:53 GMT

Lol, some of the comments here are really astounding. It's amazing what people will say when they are clearly INSECURE and hearing something that doesn't give them warm fuzzy feelings inside. To be honest, in our filthy, feminist-drenched society it is VERY entertaining to see all of the desperate attempts made by females to "question" the validity of Rushton's research. Of course, we all know that if this study had shown the reverse scenario, the feminist media establishment in the US would be absolutely overjoyed at the news!

If the female critics here want to be taken seriously, here's a few bits of advice:

(1) Don't start your posts by mentioning you "superior" academic credentials. It makes you look desperate. Plus, this is a web-board after all, and none of your claims will ever be corroborated, so why bother? Use your HEADS, girls!

(2) Try familiarizing yourself with what the research DOES suggest, instead of endlessly pointing out what is DOESN'T. Yes, everybody knows that IQ isn't the only relevant factor in matter of academic and real-world success. But the real question is, when did Rushton or anybody else suggest otherwise? Rushton has never said that "IQ is everything," so why do you keep pointing this out?

For example, the reason why females tend to "excel" in a school setting is not because they are necessarily smart, but mostly because their natural temperament and life-babits tend to be more compatible with that sort of environment. Women get good grades (on average) because they are much more willing to conform to the institutionalized patterns of behavior and etiquette than men. This has nothing to do with innate intelligence, that's why there is no "conundrum" about it.

Also, Rushton has already indicated that these results conform VERY well to international studies that have been dedicated to the same topic. In fact, in other countries (i.e. Japan), the differences between males/females are even more pronounced in favor of the male sex. Thus, these tests are "culture-biased" (though God only knows what THAT means), so stop trying to say they are.

What the research DOES suggest is that, by adulthood, males on average are about 4 IQ points smarter than females. And, contrary to popular perception, males outperform females in BOTH the mathematical and the verbal sections, but the difference is much more pronounced in the mathematical section. The only way in which females outperform males, on average, is in so-called "writing ability," which helps explain the tendency of females to crowd in disciplines in which a glib tongue is most essential (hello all you "English" and "Sociology" majors!).

(3) Get a grip on our current SOCIAL SITUATION! This is for all of the bitter females who STILL complain about hidden "gender biases" in our society. Are you kidding me? The US is certainly sympathetic to one sex over another, but I'm afraid that in this wonderful day and age (yes, this is sarcasm) it's being directed the OTHER WAY AROUND! Show me ONE manifestation of gender bias against women today in any mainstream media source and I'll revise this statement, but right now it stands. Males aren't the ones with special bureaucracies dedicated to their "academic success" and "career goals," now are they?

(4) Differences in IQ and other standardized tests are NOT insignificant. As has been demonstrated countless times by Murray, Lynn, Gottfredson (who is a woman, BTW), and many others, IQ is an EXCELLENT predictor for performance and behavior in all sorts of different settings, not just academia but in the real-world as well. In other words, for all of those who are whining that "innate ability" is a meaningless concept or at least impossible to measure, you're WRONG. It can be measured, and IQ tests measure it very well (BTW, I'm taking about approved psychological tests, not "online" tests that are mostly for fun).

Are men smarter?

Stephanie, Odessa, Tx — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:44:52 GMT

I think its something to say that a good number of women who have responded to this havent been terribly upset by the study, I believe everyone knows that intelligence varies by individuals, not only sex. Im secure enough to say that many men are incredibly smarter than I am, but I am also much more intelligent than many men I know. It all varies.

Are men smarter?

Gaara — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:52:06 GMT

Looking back in history, males always have proven themselves brighter than females. Charles Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, Socrates, Shakespeare, Chaucer, so on and so forth. I give names of so many males that are so ahread of females, it's almost laughable. Is this sexism, or is it mere accepting the facts? Deny them if you will. They won't make the reality dissapear.

Are men smarter?

RS, New York, NY — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:05:00 GMT

Men are not smarter than women, and the reverse also is not true. People's definitions of "smart" can also vary; for instance, just because someone gets some of the best grades in school, does that make them "smart"? Likewise, is someone who has always struggled academically in school not a smart person? Smartness is an all-around concept, it doesn't just refer to performing well on a test. It is really defined by what you do with your life, the decisions you make in any and every aspect of it.

Albert Einstein was dyslexic and attention deficit, and always struggled in school, yet he is pretty much a synonym for the word "genius". (And yes, he had trouble with simple things, such as determining which house was his, lol)

I do believe that socialization factors aside, men would still be more inclined to make a living off of a career related to math, science, engineering, technology, or similar fields, while women might still be more inclined to have a career involving creativity, verbal skills, etc - such as singing/songwriting, fictional writing, art, etc. these may sound like stereotypes, and obviously they are - but some stereotypes are rooted in truth, and while it's not always true, when you're looking at the population as a whole, there will be indications of such differences. That doesn't make one sex smarter than the other..IMO, there are subtle genetic/biological bases for these differences, and I also agree that it is due to evolution which by the way, is adaptable and always changing....so thousands of years from now this may all change...

Are men smarter?

rolando ompad,angeles city pampanga,philippines — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:01:41 GMT

i am male college student here in the philippines,i'm glad i found this,we gonna e a debate concerning this topic,,,that are really female brain got the higher vocabulary than male brain.

thanks

Are men smarter?

karolyn,indiana,PA — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:13:18 GMT

I am in 6th grade and I am doing a project for an event called PJAS and my hypothosis is that Females are more superior in math and reading, i think that this site made a BIG impact on what i am going to put in the essay section.

Are men smarter?

Brian, Provo, Ut — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:19:55 GMT

I think I.Q depends on ones own experience but I am a strong believer (because I see it every day) Men possess more common sense than women where as women make judgments based on emotions. Men have more testosterone therefor can become more aggressive. Can you imagine if men worked like women and based their decisions on simply emotions alone? There would be no world left. In other words men can channel negative emotions into some productive where as women overreact and act immature on their feelings.

Are men smarter?

aw — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:12:09 GMT

BOYS ROCK

Are men smarter?

DMB — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:52:40 GMT

Who cares really?

Are men smarter?

Tony Black, Los Angeles, Califonia — Sat, 02 May 2009 09:49:46 GMT

Gee...Don`t the girls get defensive when ever this question is pondered!

Are men smarter?

Jhon White Boston Massatchusetes — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:18:38 GMT

Women are capable of reading a map and dealing with war. Not all girls are emotional and week.Besides this whole test and IQ test were made by men, which makes it bias. I don't think your giving a fair chance for the women here. Not all women are made the same. In my point of view women are way smarter And more organized then men by a long shot. Take it from me because I'm a boy and I'm admitting it. You people who made this test, and we all know your all male fix it because most of this stuff is bias and wrong.