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Stark I, Rast JE, Lundberg M, Döring N, Ohlis A, Idring Nordström S, Rai D, Magnusson C. Completion of Upper Secondary Mainstream School in Autistic Students in Sweden. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06470-8. [PMID: 39017805 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06470-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Higher education is an increasingly necessary achievement to attain employment. However, even in cases where a student has the academic skills to succeed, educational environments may not support students across all other domains necessary for education success, including social and communication needs. This is especially true for students with disabilities and autistic students, where the rate of completion of non-compulsory education is unknown. We used the Stockholm Youth Cohort (children aged 0-17 years from 2001 to 2011), a total population cohort (N = 736,180) including 3,918 autistic individuals, to investigate the association between autism without intellectual disability and completion of upper secondary education. We assessed the impact of sex and co-occurring Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on this association. By age 20 years (the expected age of completion), 68% of autistic students and 91% of non-autistic students admitted to upper secondary education had completed. In logistic regression models adjusted for student demographics, autistic students had almost five-fold higher odds of not completing secondary school (OR 4.90, 95% CI 4.56 5.26) compared to their non-autistic peers. Autistic students with ADHD had particularly high odds of non-completion of upper secondary school. Autistic students without intellectual disability attending mainstream education are substantially less likely to complete upper secondary education as compared to their peers. These findings have implications for the appraisal of how inclusive school policies serve autistic students' academic and social needs, ultimately addressing population health and independent living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidora Stark
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jessica E Rast
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Michael Lundberg
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nora Döring
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Ohlis
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Dheeraj Rai
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Autism Spectrum Service, Avon and Wiltshire Partnership NHS Mental Health Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Cecilia Magnusson
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
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Kheloui S, Jacmin-Park S, Larocque O, Kerr P, Rossi M, Cartier L, Juster RP. Sex/gender differences in cognitive abilities. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105333. [PMID: 37517542 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Sex/gender differences in cognitive sciences are riddled by conflicting perspectives. At the center of debates are clinical, social, and political perspectives. Front and center, evolutionary and biological perspectives have often focused on 'nature' arguments, while feminist and constructivist views have often focused on 'nurture arguments regarding cognitive sex differences. In the current narrative review, we provide a comprehensive overview regarding the origins and historical advancement of these debates while providing a summary of the results in the field of sexually polymorphic cognition. In so doing, we attempt to highlight the importance of using transdisciplinary perspectives which help bridge disciplines together to provide a refined understanding the specific factors that drive sex differences a gender diversity in cognitive abilities. To summarize, biological sex (e.g., birth-assigned sex, sex hormones), socio-cultural gender (gender identity, gender roles), and sexual orientation each uniquely shape the cognitive abilities reviewed. To date, however, few studies integrate these sex and gender factors together to better understand individual differences in cognitive functioning. This has potential benefits if a broader understanding of sex and gender factors are systematically measured when researching and treating numerous conditions where cognition is altered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kheloui
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Silke Jacmin-Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Ophélie Larocque
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Philippe Kerr
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Mathias Rossi
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Louis Cartier
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada.
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Clingan-Siverly S, Nelson PM, Göksun T, Demir-Lira ÖE. Spatial Thinking in Term and Preterm-Born Preschoolers: Relations to Parent-Child Speech and Gesture. Front Psychol 2021; 12:651678. [PMID: 33967912 PMCID: PMC8103033 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.651678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial skills predict important life outcomes, such as mathematical achievement or entrance into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Children significantly vary in their spatial performance even before they enter formal schooling. One correlate of children's spatial performance is the spatial language they produce and hear from others, such as their parents. Because the emphasis has been on spatial language, less is known about the role of hand gestures in children's spatial development. Some children are more likely to fall behind in their spatial skills than others. Children born premature (gestational age <37 weeks) constitute such a risk group. Here, we compared performance of term and preterm-born children on two non-verbal spatial tasks-mental transformation and block design. We also examined relations of children's performance on these tasks to parental spatial language and gesture input and their own production of spatial language and gesture during an independent puzzle play interaction. We found that while term and preterm-born children (n = 40) as a group did not differ in the mental transformation or block design performance, children varied widely in their performance within each group. The variability in mental transformation scores was predicted by both a subset of spatial words (what aspects of spatial information) and all spatial gestures children produced. Children's spatial language and gesture were in turn related to their parents' spatial language and gesture. Parental spatial language and gesture had an indirect relation on children's mental transformation, but not block design, scores via children's spatial language, and gesture use. Overall, results highlight the unique contributions of speech and gesture in communicating spatial information and predicting children's spatial performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Clingan-Siverly
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA, United States
| | - Paige M. Nelson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA, United States
| | - Tilbe Göksun
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ö. Ece Demir-Lira
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA, United States
- DeLTA Center, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA, United States
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA, United States
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Stark I, Liao P, Magnusson C, Lundberg M, Rai D, Lager A, Idring Nordström S. Qualification for upper secondary education in individuals with autism without intellectual disability: Total population study, Stockholm, Sweden. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 25:1036-1046. [PMID: 33246359 PMCID: PMC8111225 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320975929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
This study used the Stockholm Youth Cohort, a total population cohort (N = 364,957), to describe patterns and predictors of qualification for upper secondary education, defined by passing graduation grades in core compulsory school subjects in contemporary young individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders without intellectual disability (n = 6138). At the expected age for graduation, 16 years, 29% (adjusted rate difference 95% confidence interval (28.0–30.0)) fewer autistic than non-autistic individuals were qualified for upper secondary education (57% and 86%, respectively). Comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder further increased this difference. Within the group of autistic students without intellectual disability, female sex and lower family income were associated with non-qualification for upper secondary education. The proportion of students with autism without intellectual disability who qualified for upper secondary education increased at age 20. These findings underline the need for improved support for students with a diagnosis of autism without intellectual disability in mainstream education.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peiwen Liao
- Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.,University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia
| | | | | | | | - Anton Lager
- Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.,Stockholm County Council, Sweden
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Wong WI, Yeung SP. Early Gender Differences in Spatial and Social Skills and Their Relations to Play and Parental Socialization in Children from Hong Kong. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:1589-1602. [PMID: 31123945 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-1415-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Children's play preferences are highly gender-typed. At the same time, much research revolves around spatial and social skills that sometimes show male and female advantages, respectively. There is evidence that play with masculine toys is associated with better spatial skills and emerging evidence suggests that play with feminine toys is associated with better social skills. However, several research gaps limit current knowledge on these aspects of gender development. First, the study of childhood gender development has been largely Eurocentric; second, the link between gender-typed play and social skills development is not well supported. We tested 644 5-year-old Hong Kong Chinese children on five gender-typed skills, play preferences, and parental gender socialization. The pattern of gender differences was remarkably similar to those in the West. Boys preferred masculine toys more than girls and were better at mental transformation and targeting accuracy, while girls preferred feminine (and neutral) toys more than boys and were better at empathy and were less aggressive, although there was no significant gender difference in comforting skill. There was little evidence that these gender differences varied with socioeconomic status (parental income and education). Play correlated with some outcomes in expected ways. This is in contrast to parents' gender socialization, which showed some expected differences by child gender but minimally correlated with children's skills. These findings shed light on the generalizability of current knowledge on early gender differences and may facilitate gender developmental research outside the West. Although the study did not test the direction of effects, they substantiate the growing discourse on gender-typed play as an important learning mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Ivy Wong
- Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
- Gender Studies Program, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sino Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
| | - Sui Ping Yeung
- Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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Ruthsatz V, Rahe M, Schürmann L, Quaiser-Pohl C. Girls’ Stuff, boys’ stuff and mental rotation: fourth graders rotate faster with gender-congruent stimuli. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2019.1567518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vera Ruthsatz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Martina Rahe
- Institute of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Linda Schürmann
- Institute of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany
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7
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Ramsay H, Barnett JH, Murray GK, Miettunen J, Mäki P, Järvelin MR, Smith GD, Ala-Korpela M, Veijola J. Cognition, psychosis risk and metabolic measures in two adolescent birth cohorts. Psychol Med 2018; 48:2609-2623. [PMID: 30039772 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291718001794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychoses, especially schizophrenia, are often preceded by cognitive deficits and psychosis risk states. Altered metabolic profiles have been found in schizophrenia. However, the associations between metabolic profiles and poorer cognitive performance and psychosis risk in the population remain to be determined. METHODS Detailed molecular profiles were measured for up to 8976 individuals from two general population-based prospective birth cohorts: the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC 1986) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). A high-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy platform was used to quantify 70 metabolic measures at age 15-16 years in the NFBC 1986 and at ages 15 and 17 years in ALSPAC. Psychosis risk was assessed using the PROD-screen questionnaire at age 15-16 years in the NFBC 1986 or the psychotic-like symptoms assessment at age 17 years in ALSPAC. Cognitive measures included academic performance at age 16 years in both cohorts and general intelligence and executive function in ALSPAC. Logistic regression measured cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between metabolic measures and psychosis risk and cognitive performance, controlling for important covariates. RESULTS Seven metabolic measures, primarily fatty acid (FA) measures, showed cross-sectional associations with general cognitive performance, four across both cohorts (low density lipoprotein diameter, monounsaturated FA ratio, omega-3 ratio and docosahexaenoic acid ratio), even after controlling for important mental and physical health covariates. Psychosis risk showed minimal metabolic associations. CONCLUSIONS FA ratios may be important in marking risk for cognitive deficits in adolescence. Further research is needed to clarify whether these biomarkers could be causal and thereby possible targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugh Ramsay
- Department of Psychiatry,Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu,Oulu,Finland
| | | | - Graham K Murray
- Department of Psychiatry,University of Cambridge,Cambridge,UK
| | - Jouko Miettunen
- Department of Psychiatry,Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu,Oulu,Finland
| | - Pirjo Mäki
- Department of Psychiatry,Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu,Oulu,Finland
| | - Marjo-Riitta Järvelin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London,London,W2 1PG,UK
| | - George Davey Smith
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol,Bristol,UK
| | - Mika Ala-Korpela
- Systems Epidemiology, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute,Melbourne, Victoria,Australia
| | - Juha Veijola
- Department of Psychiatry,Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu,Oulu,Finland
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Ho A, Lee J, Wood E, Kassies S, Heinbuck C. Tap, swipe, and build: Parental spatial input during iPad®and toy play. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Ho
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science; Wilfrid Laurier University; Waterloo Ontario Canada
| | - Joanne Lee
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science; Wilfrid Laurier University; Waterloo Ontario Canada
| | - Eileen Wood
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science; Wilfrid Laurier University; Waterloo Ontario Canada
| | - Samantha Kassies
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science; Wilfrid Laurier University; Waterloo Ontario Canada
| | - Carissa Heinbuck
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science; Wilfrid Laurier University; Waterloo Ontario Canada
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10
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Early preschool environments and gender: Effects of gender pedagogy in Sweden. J Exp Child Psychol 2017; 162:1-17. [PMID: 28551105 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
To test how early social environments affect children's consideration of gender, 3- to 6-year-old children (N=80) enrolled in gender-neutral or typical preschool programs in the central district of a large Swedish city completed measures designed to assess their gender-based social preferences, stereotypes, and automatic encoding. Compared with children in typical preschools, a greater proportion of children in the gender-neutral school were interested in playing with unfamiliar other-gender children. In addition, children attending the gender-neutral preschool scored lower on a gender stereotyping measure than children attending typical preschools. Children at the gender-neutral school, however, were not less likely to automatically encode others' gender. The findings suggest that gender-neutral pedagogy has moderate effects on how children think and feel about people of different genders but might not affect children's tendency to spontaneously notice gender.
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11
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Endendijk JJ, Groeneveld MG, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Mesman J. Gender-Differentiated Parenting Revisited: Meta-Analysis Reveals Very Few Differences in Parental Control of Boys and Girls. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159193. [PMID: 27416099 PMCID: PMC4945059 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although various theories describe mechanisms leading to differential parenting of boys and girls, there is no consensus about the extent to which parents do treat their sons and daughters differently. The last meta-analyses on the subject were conducted more than fifteen years ago, and changes in gender-specific child rearing in the past decade are quite plausible. In the current set of meta-analyses, based on 126 observational studies (15,034 families), we examined mothers’ and fathers’ differential use of autonomy-supportive and controlling strategies with boys and girls, and the role of moderators related to the decade in which the study was conducted, the observational context, and sample characteristics. Databases of Web of Science, ERIC, PsychInfo, Online Contents, Picarta, and Proquest were searched for studies examining differences in observed parental control of boys and girls between the ages of 0 and 18 years. Few differences were found in parents’ use of control with boys and girls. Parents were slightly more controlling with boys than with girls, but the effect size was negligible (d = 0.08). The effect was larger, but still small, in normative groups and in samples with younger children. No overall effect for gender-differentiated autonomy-supportive strategies was found (d = 0.03). A significant effect of time emerged: studies published in the 1970s and 1980s reported more autonomy-supportive strategies with boys than toward girls, but from 1990 onwards parents showed somewhat more autonomy-supportive strategies with girls than toward boys. Taking into account parents’ gender stereotypes might uncover subgroups of families where gender-differentiated control is salient, but based on our systematic review of the currently available large data base we conclude that in general the differences between parenting of boys versus girls are minimal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce J. Endendijk
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Judi Mesman
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Jirout JJ, Newcombe NS. Building Blocks for Developing Spatial Skills: Evidence From a Large, Representative U.S. Sample. Psychol Sci 2015; 26:302-10. [DOI: 10.1177/0956797614563338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence suggesting that children’s play with spatial toys (e.g., puzzles and blocks) correlates with spatial development. Females play less with spatial toys than do males, which arguably accounts for males’ spatial advantages; children with high socioeconomic status (SES) also show an advantage, though SES-related differences in spatial play have been less studied than gender-related differences. Using a large, nationally representative sample from the standardization study of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence–Fourth Edition, and controlling for other cognitive abilities, we observed a specific relation between parent-reported frequency of spatial play and Block Design scores that was invariant across gender and SES. Reported spatial play was higher for boys than for girls, but controlling for spatial play did not eliminate boys’ relative advantage on this subtest. SES groups did not differ in reported frequency of spatial play. Future research should consider quality as well as quantity of play, and should explore underlying mechanisms to evaluate causality.
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Spatial working memory and attention skills are predicted by maternal stress during pregnancy. Early Hum Dev 2015; 91:23-9. [PMID: 25460253 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2014.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2014] [Revised: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Experimental evidence in rodents shows that maternal stress during pregnancy (MSDP) negatively impacts spatial learning and memory in the offspring. We aim to investigate the association between MSDP (i.e., life events) and spatial working memory, as well as attention skills (attention shifting and attention focusing), in humans. The moderating roles of child sex, maternal anxiety during pregnancy and postnatal care are also investigated. METHODS Participants were 236 mother-child dyads that were followed from the second trimester of pregnancy until 4 years postpartum. Measurements included questionnaires and independent observations. RESULTS MSDP was negatively associated with attention shifting at 18 months when concurrent maternal anxiety was low. MSDP was associated with poorer spatial working memory at 4 years of age, but only for boys who experienced poorer postnatal care. CONCLUSION Consistent with results observed in rodents, MSDP was found to be associated with spatial working memory and attention skills. These results point to postnatal care and maternal anxiety during pregnancy as potential targets for interventions that aim to buffer children from the detrimental effects of MSDP.
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Lily S. Socioeconomic Status, Parents’ Sex-Role Stereotypes, and the Gender Gap in Computing. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/08886504.1994.10782102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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15
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Wang MT, Degol J. Motivational Pathways to STEM Career Choices: Using Expectancy-Value Perspective to Understand Individual and Gender Differences in STEM Fields. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2013; 33:10.1016/j.dr.2013.08.001. [PMID: 24298199 PMCID: PMC3843492 DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2013.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The United States has made a significant effort and investment in STEM education, yet the size and the composition of the STEM workforce continues to fail to meet demand. It is thus important to understand the barriers and factors that influence individual educational and career choices. In this article, we conduct a literature review of the current knowledge surrounding individual and gender differences in STEM educational and career choices, using expectancy-value theory as a guiding framework. The overarching goal of this paper is to provide both a well-defined theoretical framework and complementary empirical evidence for linking specific sociocultural, contextual, biological, and psychological factors to individual and gender differences in STEM interests and choices. Knowledge gained through this review will eventually guide future research and interventions designed to enhance individual motivation and capacity to pursue STEM careers, particularly for females who are interested in STEM but may be constrained by misinformation or stereotypes.
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Abstract
The late 1960s through the 1970s marked an important turning point in the field of gender research, including theory and research in gender development. The establishment of Sex Roles in 1975 as a forum for this research represented an important milestone in the field. In this article, we celebrate the 35th anniversary of Sex Roles and, in particular, its contributions to the field of research on children's and adolescents' gender development. We examine the trends in research on gender development published in Sex Roles since its inception and use this analysis as a vehicle for exploring how the field has grown and evolved over the past few decades. We begin with a brief review of the history of this field of research since 1975. Then, we present a descriptive assessment of articles published on gender development in Sex Roles over time, and link this assessment to general trends that have occurred in the study of gender development over the past 35 years. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for the field of gender development. In particular, we highlight areas in which the journal could play a role in promoting more diversity in topics, methods, and ages employed in gender development research.
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Levine SC, Vasilyeva M, Lourenco SF, Newcombe NS, Huttenlocher J. Socioeconomic Status Modifies the Sex Difference in Spatial Skill. Psychol Sci 2005; 16:841-5. [PMID: 16262766 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01623.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined whether the male spatial advantage varies across children from different socioeconomic (SES) groups. In a longitudinal study, children were administered two spatial tasks requiring mental transformations and a syntax comprehension task in the fall and spring of second and third grades. Boys from middle- and high-SES backgrounds outperformed their female counterparts on both spatial tasks, whereas boys and girls from a low-SES group did not differ in their performance level on these tasks. As expected, no sex differences were found on the verbal comprehension task. Prior studies have generally been based on the assumption that the male spatial advantage reflects ability differences in the population as a whole. Our finding that the advantage is sensitive to variations in SES provides a challenge to this assumption, and has implications for a successful explanation of the sex-related difference in spatial skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Levine
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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Abstract
Between the ages of 10 and 15, increases in depression among girls result in a rate that is twice as high as the rate of depression in boys. This sex difference remains throughout early and middle adulthood. Prior to early adolescence, there is essentially no sex difference in the rate of depression. The aim of the present review is to examine whether the preadolescent period is a time during which precursors to depression in girls can be identified. First, existing areas of research on explaining sex differences in depression, including cognitive and affiliative style and the socialization of emotion, are reviewed. Second, the hypothesis that for some girls, preadolescent precursors to depression take the form of excessive empathy, compliance and regulation of negative emotions is articulated. Third, ways of building on existing models by including the proposed preadolescent precursors are proposed. Finally, approaches to testing the hypotheses that individual differences in these domains during preadolescence may explain later individual differences in adolescent onset depression are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Keenan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
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Jacobs JE, Bleeker MM. Girls' and boys' developing interests in math and science: do parents matter? New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2005:5-21. [PMID: 15707159 DOI: 10.1002/cd.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies (for example, Bregman & Killen, 1999; Eccles, Wigfield, & Schiefele, 1998; Jacobs, 1991;Jacobs & Eccles, 2000) have demonstrated the important role that parents' attitudes play in shaping their children's later self-perceptions and achievement behaviors. Studies indicate that in the math and science arena, parents' perceptions of their children's abilities as well as their own values about math and science are related to their children's later self-perceptions and values for achieving in these domains. The previous work suggests that parents are conveying their attitudes and values about math to their children through their words and actions; however, little research has documented the ways in which parents' beliefs and specific behaviors might promote positive achievement attitudes and behaviors in their children. The goal of the study reported here was to document relations between parents' math and science--promotive behaviors and attitudes and their children's later activity choices, values, and achievement in these subjects.
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McHale SM, Kim JY, Whiteman S, Crouter AC. Links between sex-typed time use in middle childhood and gender development in early adolescence. Dev Psychol 2005; 40:868-81. [PMID: 15355172 DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.40.5.868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The authors studied sex-typing in the kinds (e.g., sports, handicrafts) and social contexts (same- vs. other-sex companions) of children's free time activities, and the links between sex-typed activities and gender development over 2 years. Participants were 200 White, working- and middle-class children (103 girls, 97 boys; mean age = 10.86 years). In annual home interviews, children rated their self-esteem, gender role attitudes and sex-typed personality qualities, academic interests, and school grades. During 7 nightly phone interviews each year, children reported on their activities. Boys were more sex-typed than girls in their peer activities, and children were least sex-typed in their activities with siblings. Sex-typed activities in middle childhood predicted individual differences in gender development in early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M McHale
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University Park, PA, US.
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McHale SM, Shanahan L, Updegraff KA, Crouter AC, Booth A. Developmental and Individual Differences in Girls' Sex-Typed Activities in Middle Childhood and Adolescence. Child Dev 2004; 75:1575-93. [PMID: 15369532 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00758.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Girls' time in sex-typed leisure activities was studied across 2 years in middle childhood (n = 98, M = 8.2 years in Year 1), early adolescence (n = 106, M = 11.7 years), and middle adolescence (n = 86, M = 14.9 years). In annual home interviews, White middle-class girls, mothers, and fathers rated their gendered attitudes, interests, and personality qualities, and saliva samples were used to assess testosterone; activity data were collected in 7 nightly phone interviews. Girls spent more time in feminine than masculine activities except in early adolescence. Girls' and parents' personalities and interests predicted sex-typed activities at each developmental period, but associations between testosterone and activities emerged only in middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M McHale
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA.
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Kalish CW, Shiverick SM. Children’s reasoning about norms and traits as motives for behavior. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2004. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2004.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Liben LS, Susman EJ, Finkelstein JW, Chinchilli VM, Kunselman S, Schwab J, Semon Dubas J, Demers LM, Lookingbill G, D'Arcangelo MR, Krogh HR, Kulin HE. The effects of sex steroids on spatial performance: A review and an experimental clinical investigation. Dev Psychol 2002. [DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.38.2.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Abstract
Sex differences in spatial ability have been argued to originate from sex differences in children's play preferences. Child (30 boys and 20 girls) were asked to construct a specific three-dimensional model using Lego blocks and were also given the Shepard and Metzler test of mental rotation. Those who completed the Lego model scored significantly higher in spatial ability than those who did not. Constructional ability was also related to errors made during the construction of the model, but spatial ability was the best predictor of completion of the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Brosnan
- School of Social Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, England
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Lord T, Leonard B. Comparing scores on spatial-perception tests for intercollegiate athletes and nonathletes. Percept Mot Skills 1997; 84:299-306. [PMID: 9132723 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1997.84.1.299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Many researchers believe that the amount of testosterone in the blood is directly associated with visuospatial perception. If this is the case, men and women who participate in intercollegiate athletics (and have high androgen levels) should show significantly better spatial ability than nonathletes. Two paper-and-pencil tests to measure spatial ability were given to 200 men and women on university sport teams. Men's scores, compared to national norms, were significantly lower than those in the national sample but no difference was found between the women athletes and the national sample or between the male and female athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Lord
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana 15705, USA.
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Fisher-Thompson D. Adult toy purchases for children: Factors affecting sex-typed toy selection. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 1993. [DOI: 10.1016/0193-3973(93)90016-o] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Beach SA, Robinson RJ. GENDER AND GRADE LEVEL DIFFERENCES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPTS ABOUT PRINT. READING PSYCHOLOGY 1992. [DOI: 10.1080/027027192130403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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