Sex Differences in Visual Recognition Memory: Support for a Sex-Related Difference in Attention in Adults and Children

The selectivity hypothesis of Meyers-Levy (1989) proposes that cognitive sex differences reflect underlying differences in information processing between males and females. Males are considered to be more likely to organize information in a self-related manner, whereas females are more likely to ado...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain and cognition 1997-08, Vol.34 (3), p.323-336
Main Authors: McGivern, Robert F., Huston, J.Patrick, Byrd, Desiree, King, Tina, Siegle, Greg J., Reilly, Judy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Attention
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Developmental psychology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Male
Memory
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Random Allocation
Sex Characteristics
Sex Factors
Visual Perception
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Summary:The selectivity hypothesis of Meyers-Levy (1989) proposes that cognitive sex differences reflect underlying differences in information processing between males and females. Males are considered to be more likely to organize information in a self-related manner, whereas females are more likely to adopt a comprehensive approach to information processing. We tested this hypothesis in children (10–15 years) and adults using recognition memory tasks. Tests were devised which employed male-oriented objects, female oriented objects, or random objects. In both the child and adult samples, females performed significantly better than males on tests using random and female-oriented objects. Males performed at the level of females only when tested for recognition of male-oriented objects. These results demonstrate that this sex difference is present prior to puberty and support the concept of sex differences in information processing.
ISSN:0278-2626
1090-2147
DOI:10.1006/brcg.1997.0872