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Differential predictability of females and males

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Abstract

This study examined the existence of sex differences in validity coefficients from a variety of different types of tests. It was found that female validities significantly exceeded male validities by .04 correlational units. When the validities were broken down by predictor categories, no significant differences were observed between males and females on either personality or high school background measures; and female validities exceeded male validities on tests of abstract reasoning, clerical abilities, information, mathematical abilities, verbal abilities, and composite scores from multiple tests. Implications of these findings are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University, USA

    Phyllis M. Mellon, Neal Schmitt & Carol Bylenga

Authors
  1. Phyllis M. Mellon
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  2. Neal Schmitt
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  3. Carol Bylenga
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Additional information

Use of the Michigan State University computing facilities was made possible through support, in part, from the National Science Foundation.

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Mellon, P.M., Schmitt, N. & Bylenga, C. Differential predictability of females and males. Sex Roles 6, 173–177 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287340

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287340

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