Sex differences in discrimination of forms by elementary school children

Thirty-six boys and 36 girls at each of two grade levels (second and fourth) were presented with a two-choice simultaneous form discrimination. The forms were five- or 10-sided, and symmetrical or asymmetrical. Ss received either a uniform array (both stimuli symmetrical or asymmetrical) or a mixed array (one stimulus symmetrical and the other asymmetrical). Boys performed better than girls, and older children were more accurate than younger ones. Several interactions among sex, age, and stimulus variables were obtained. The findings indicate sex differences in the development of the ability to process form information.