The changing face of cognitive gender differences in Europe
| Autor: | Inga Freund, Daniela Weber, Vegard Skirbekk, Agneta Herlitz |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2014 |
| Předmět: |
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Male Gerontology Elementary cognitive task Psychometrics Memory Episodic Social Sciences Developmental psychology Cohort Studies Fluency Cognition Numeracy Humans Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance Episodic memory Aged Aged 80 and over Sex Characteristics Multidisciplinary Middle Aged Cross-cultural studies Europe Social Conditions Educational Status Female Psychology |
| Popis: | Cognitive gender differences and the reasons for their origins have fascinated researchers for decades. Using nationally representative data to investigate gender differences in cognitive performance in middle-aged and older populations across Europe, we show that the magnitude of these differences varies systematically across cognitive tasks, birth cohorts, and regions, but also that the living conditions and educational opportunities individuals are exposed to during their formative years are related to their later cognitive performance. Specifically, we demonstrate that improved living conditions and less gender-restricted educational opportunities are associated with increased gender differences favoring women in some cognitive functions (i.e., episodic memory) and decreases (i.e., numeracy) or elimination of differences in other cognitive abilities (i.e., category fluency). Our results suggest that these changes take place due to a general increase in women's cognitive performance over time, associated with societal improvements in living conditions and educational opportunities. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|