Sex Differences in Science and Technology Among 11‐year‐old Schoolchildren: I‐‐Cognitive

Groups of 11‐year‐olds in their first term at secondary school were given three cognitive tests. Girls and boys were found to be approximately equal in science knowledge. Boys did slightly better on tests of physical science, especially when these were in multiple choice form, but otherwise there were few sex differences. Neither the style of the question (multiple choice or structured) nor the content (feminine or masculine) had any great effect on sex differences in performance. However, boys performed markedly better than girls on tests of spatial ability and mechanical reasoning. These skills may be important for later success in technical studies at school.