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Coding task performance in early adolescence: a large-scale controlled study into boy-girl differences.
Sanne Dekker1, Lydia Krabbendam, Aukje Aben
1Department of Educational Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Education, LEARN! Institute, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Frontiers in Psychology
|August 30, 2013
Summary
Girls aged 13-15 show superior information processing efficiency compared to boys, with cognitive performance independent of school grades. This developmental difference impacts scholastic performance.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Adolescence is a critical period for cognitive development.
- Understanding sex differences in cognitive abilities is crucial for educational strategies.
- Information processing efficiency is a key cognitive function impacting learning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in information processing efficiency in early adolescence.
- To examine the influence of age and educational track on cognitive performance.
- To determine the relationship between cognitive performance and school grades.
Main Methods:
- A coding task assessing information processing efficiency was administered to 306 adolescents (grades 7 and 9).
- Participants were aged 13 and 15 years, with a balanced sex distribution.
- Performance was analyzed considering age, sex, educational track, and school grades.
Main Results:
- Older adolescents (grade 9) outperformed younger ones (grade 7).
- Girls demonstrated significantly higher information processing efficiency than boys.
- Higher educational tracks correlated with better performance, independent of school grades.
Conclusions:
- Information processing efficiency continues to develop after age 13, with girls showing an advantage.
- Cognitive performance is relatively independent of school performance in early adolescence.
- Sex differences in cognitive efficiency may contribute to variations in scholastic achievement.
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