Gender Differences in Thinking - Essay Example

Gender Differences in Thinking Gender Differences in Thinking Differences between men and women often become the point ofscientific research. They seek for the answer whether there are any differences in the way men and women think. Most of the researchers start with a thought that these differences are clear; however, in many cases their results are inconsistent to state that the differences in thinking between males and females are vital. Lack of clarity in this sphere of scientific interest gives birth to numerous stereotypes related male and female thinking processes. There is a need to examine findings of different researchers in detail in order to define whether any differences in thinking between men and women exist and they are critical for further research. There are biological differences between men and women which influences the way they perceive the world around them. According to Potur and Barkul (2009), female brain functions in a way which allows better cooperation between left and right hemisphere of their brain. Their thinking is more symmetrical. Male brain tends to focus on the work of one hemisphere at a time. These biological differences are expected to have a direct impact on thinking because they determine perceptions and their interpretations by men and women. Generally, thinking tends to be divided into two types. Convergent thinking is usually associated with a procession of information which includes finding a single correct answer, recognizing familiar patterns, applying already known techniques or reproducing old knowledge. Divergent thinking is related to creating of something new; it is the reason why it is studied by different researchers who want to define the differences between male and female creative thinking skills (Potur & Barkul, 2009). Divergent thinking appears when a single answer becomes impossible. Differences in both divergent and convergent thinking are important to understand how different men and women are. Many scientists research gender differences in thinking in order to find the reason why women are underrepresented in science. Even though many studies support the idea that there are no gender differences in general intelligence (Potur & Barkul, 2009), researchers do not stop searching for some valid explanation for this issue. The studies in gender differences in divergent thinking consider age of men and women as a factor that influences their thinking development. When people enter school, they seem to have similar skills. However, women have less problems with reading and writing assignments than men. Men show better scores in standardized exams like GMAT or SAT. According to Potur and Barkul (2009), men have better scores in tests related to logical reasoning, spatial ability and targeting. Women perform better at memory tests, motor coordination and verbal ability. The fact that women and men differ in their abilities and preferences leads to the conclusion that their thinking may be different. Differences in creative or divergent thinking are very common as a topic of scientific research. Most studies show that there are no obvious differences between men and women when it comes to creativity in their thinking. However, findings show that girls and women tend to score higher creativity skills in different assessment scales. Contrary to this study, Thyrum (2011, cited in Tsai, 2013) finds out that male students from his sample showed better results in creative thinking than female participants of the research. There are also studies which state that boys are better at innovative thinking while girls pay more attention to existing details and can elaborate their thoughts deeper (Tsai, 2013). Overall, there is no common agreement whether men and women experience any critical differences in their thinking processes. According to Potur and Barkul (2009), biological differences between men and women which result in different hormonal proportions in their world do influence their behaviors and world perceptions. However, thinking seems to be more complex as it is influenced by different complex factors which are the same for men and women. Education, family background, community and culture do influence the way people think. According to Kaufman ( 2006, cited in Tsai, 2013) women claimed to be better at social-communications and visual-artistic spheres in their creative activities. Men, on the contrary, reported to be more interested in science-analytic activities and sports. These self-reflections clearly show that it is possible to see any differences in the way men and women think based on their perceived success and preferences in different spheres in their lives. The study conducted by Tsai (2013) is very interesting in showing how men and women are different in their creative thinking. Participants of the study were assigned to create a collage. As a result of the study, the works were equal considering the technical side of the performance. However, collages created by male participants were more abstract. The researcher claims that there are several limitations which can influence these results. First of all, collage making is only one creative activity, and there are many other activities like poem or story writing which can give different results. Moreover, the age of participants is even; different age groups are not considered by the researcher. In is interesting that the same study finds a negative correlation between creative and academic performance. They are treated as totally different constructs in the study. Rational thinking receives enough attention in scientific circles too. Sladek, Bond & Phillips (2010) support their study by evidence that women prefer to resort to experiential reasoning while men are better at rational reasoning in their activities. This claim supports the assumption that women have more practical thinking; they are better at applying knowledge they get in real life situations. Men tend to have better abstract thinking than women. They are better at developing different theories. Sladek, Bond & Phillips (2010) confirm that in many life situation women rely on their attitudes, beliefs and intuition when they need to make a choice. Men then to rationalize their choices in order to realize their need for cognition. However, age has a negative correlation with female tendency to rely on their intuition. Older participants of the study relied on rational reasoning more than on their intuitive feelings. However, the researchers note that their study is limited by the fact that participants tend to exaggerate their use of rational reasoning in life situations. Potur and Barkul (2009) underline the role of culture and thinking differences between men and women. Many world cultures remain highly patriarchal and hierarchical. In these cultures, women are discouraged to be interested in male activities; science is often added to this list. Women have less opportunities to be treated with respect in scientific circles, especially if they enter the field of hard science. Cultural limitations discourage women to be the same active at science. However, their different look may be critical for developing the current knowledge people have. In summary, this research paper shows that differences in thinking between men and women exist; moreover, they are critical for understanding behavior and potential of both gender in different dimensions of human life. Men are better at abstract thinking; it results in their activity in theory development and abstract thinking. They also are better at rational reasoning. Women tend to rely on their intuition and life experiences. They are better at applying their knowledge practically. The results of different studies which focus on male and female thinking are often inconsistent, controversial and limited. No study dares to put a full stop in this long and fruitful discussion. At this point, it is clear that men and women show differences in the way they think and these differences are important to understand in order to provide men and women with the best conditions for their cognitive development. At the same time, people need to study this issue further to come to some common ground and make their findings comprehensive. References Potur, A.A. & Barkul, O. (2009). Gender and creative thinking in education: A theoretical and experimental overview. A|Z ITU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture, 6(2), 44-57. Sladek, R. M., Bond, M. J., & Phillips, P. A. (2010). Age and gender differences in preferences for rational and experiential thinking. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(8), 907-911. Tsai, K. C. (2013). Examining gender differences in creativity. International Journal of Social Sciences 13 (1), 115-122. Read More