Biological Sex and Cognitive Development

Group differences in intelligence is a controversial topic of research, and psychological researchers have been criticized on the basis of their views. One internationally known example of this trend occurred when the president of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers, suggested in 2005 that women’s (relative) lack of mathematical ability explained the sex differences in science faculty at the postsecondary level. This research is quite complex in that researchers may come up with vastly differently conclusions. For instance, a European male psychologist who might write a book chapter entitled “Sex Differences in Intelligence” may come to radically different conclusions from an American female psychologist who writes a similar review titled “Gender Similarities in Cognitive Abilities.” Either scholar may not cite each other’s work, may draw on very ...