Gender differences in computation strategies: Evidence across adolescent and adult samples

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Algorithmic strategy use in computation is more prevalent in young girls than boys.
• Existing research does not clarify if these gendered patterns in computational strategies persist into adulthood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender differences in computation strategy use among adolescents and adults.
• To explore factors influencing these differences and their relationship with math performance.

Main Methods:

• Two independent studies were conducted using different measures.
• Study 1 involved adolescents (n=213) from a U.S. public high school.
• Study 2 involved U.S. adults (n=810). Participants completed computation items, math performance tests, and measures related to gender and math.

Main Results:

• Girls and women more frequently used algorithmic approaches compared to males.
• Algorithm use was associated with lower problem-solving performance in both studies.
• Factors like lower mental rotation skills, higher teacher-pleasing tendencies, and test anxiety were linked to algorithm use.

Conclusions:

• Gendered patterns in algorithm use are observed in older samples.
• The tendency to use algorithms correlates negatively with math performance.
• There is a need to re-evaluate and enhance the development of computational strategies in children.