Fast Learners and Doers

A new study of 8,000 people aged two to 90 found that females handle timed tasks more quickly than males.

A new study of 8,000 people aged two to 90 found that females handle timed tasks more quickly than males. The difference is most pronounced among pre-teens and teenagers. The study, though, did not reveal significant overall intelligence difference. Many classroom activities, including testing, are directly or indirectly related to processing speed. The higher performance in females may contribute to a classroom culture that favours females because of inherent differences in sex processing speed. The difference becomes pronounced in elementary school. On the portions of standardised tests that reflected processing speed, and among those aged 14-18 in the study sample, girls scored an average of 105.5 whereas boys scored 97.4. The study also found that boys consistently outperformed girls in identifying objects, knowing antonyms and synonyms and completing verbal analogies. The researchers say this debunks the popular notion that girls develop all communication skills earlier than boys.