What we really need is a theory of mathematical ability

Math-Fact Retrieval as the Cognitive Mechanism Underlying Gender Differences in Math Test Performance

Males from select populations receive better scores on standardized math achievement tests than females. The research reported in this article evaluates the hypothesis that the reason for these differences is that males are faster at retrieving basic math facts. Studies 1-3 demonstrate that math-fact retrieval predicts performance on math achievement tests with students in grades 5-8 and in college. Studies 4-6 show that males and females in grades 2-8 and in college have different patterns of math-fact retrieval performance and that males at the high positive end of the retrieval distribution are faster than comparable females. Study 5 also demonstrates that math-fact retrieval varies in three populations (Anglo-American, Chinese-American, Hong Kong Chinese) and that speed of retrieval improves with practice. Studies 7-9 tested the hypothesis that males are faster than females on retrieval tasks in general. Study 7 showed that there were no gender differences on simple retrieval tasks, and Studies 8 and 9 showed that females were slightly faster than males on verbal-processing tasks. The General Discussion indicates that the math-fact retrieval hypothesis is consistent with previous research. It also relates the math-fact retrieval hypothesis to theories of cognitive performance and introduces the practice and engagement hypothesis. This hypothesis explains the origin of gender differences in math and reading and relates those differences to the existing literature on gender differences in academic performance. The article concludes with a description of needed future research and a discussion of the educational implications of the math-fact retrieval hypothesis. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.