Men are smarter than women, according to a controversial new study. Recent research shows that men have larger brains than women: a 100 gram difference after correcting for body size.
Men are smarter than women, according to a controversial new study. Recent research shows that men have larger brains than women: a 100 gram difference after correcting for body size. To determine if there is a link between gender and intelligence, and perhaps between brain size and intelligence, researchers analysed the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of 100,000 17- and 18-year-olds. When they weighted each SAT question by an established general intelligence factor called the g-factor, they discovered that males surpassed females by an average of 3.6 IQ points. The g-factor works like this: ‘Repeat the last four digits of my telephone number, that’s a low g-loaded memory test. But repeat them back to me in the reverse order, that suddenly requires a tremendous amount more cognitive processing.’ So the g-factor is the best, most predictive part of the test. However, one plausible explanation is that more females than males take the SAT test. The study did, in fact, include about 10,000 more females than males.