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Overview
- Details pattern of differences that have remained largely unchanged for more than 100 years in the U.S. and worldwide
- Examines why reading and math test scores for boys and girls have differed since the origins of testing in the U.S
- Provides the only coherent theory of sex differences explaining math and reading test scores in observational settings
- This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access
Part of the book series: Monographs in the Psychology of Education (MPE)
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About this book
This open access book examines why reading and math test scores for boys and girls have differed since the origins of testing in the United States. It details the pattern of differences that have remained largely unchanged for more than 100 years in the United States and worldwide. The book explores why boys have modestly larger math test score means than girls, and why girls have far larger reading test score means than boys. Boys have larger test score variances for both tasks. The only data of focus—and thus the only data to be explained—are boys’ and girls’ test score sample means and variances.
In addition, the book provides the only coherent theory of gender differences explaining math and reading test score means and variances obtained in observational settings. It develops the simple genetical idea framed within a finite probability mixture model; it provides parameter estimates and displays numerous estimated probability distributions associated with the selected accessible studies chosen for analysis; and it extends the theory and provides explanations for never understood puzzling features of test score data. The book requires no auxiliary sources, although some understanding of random variables and probability theory is required to follow the formalization. It contains all technical details, including the estimation procedure and an R code implementation.
Key areas of coverage include:
· Extensive literature summary from a unique data inequalities perspective.
· Perspective that challenges existing viewpoints on sex differences, falsifying conventional perspectives.
· Illustrates probability modeling of psychological data.
· Illustrates the failure of conventional statistics to explain data and the need for modeling data.
Sex Differences in Reading and Math Test Scores of Children is an invaluable resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students in educational psychology, teaching and teacher education, literacy / language teaching and learning, mathematics education, curriculum studies, developmental psychology, statistics, and all interrelated disciplines.
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Keywords
- Gender gap, math, reading, test scores
- Genetics, test score differences, math, reading
- Math, reading, model applications
- Math, sex differences, test scores
- Probability mixture model, test score differences, boys, girls,
- Standardized testing, math, reading, boys, girls
- Testing literature, math, reading, sex differences
- Achievement tests, math, reading, boys, girls,
- Finite mixture models, test score differences, boys, girls
- Math test score differences, boys, girls
- Standard deviations, test scores, boys, girls
- Test scores, sex differences, boys, girls
- Open Access
Table of contents (6 chapters)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Hoben Thomas, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of psychology, Penn State University, University Park, PA. His interests are largely in modeling poorly understood empirical findings within probability frameworks. Areas of focus include infant processes, individual differences, especially sex differences, psychometrics and finite mixture models.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Sex Differences in Reading and Math Test Scores of Children
Book Subtitle: A Heterodoxical Model
Authors: Hoben Thomas
Series Title: Monographs in the Psychology of Education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41272-1
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and Psychology, Behavioral Science and Psychology (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2024
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-41271-4Published: 10 October 2023
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-41274-5Published: 10 October 2023
eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-41272-1Published: 09 October 2023
Series ISSN: 2662-7574
Series E-ISSN: 2662-7582
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XII, 108
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 23 illustrations in colour
Topics: Pedagogic Psychology, Child and School Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Teaching and Teacher Education, Developmental Psychology, Public Health