PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN QUARTERLY

A sample of 2,093 students was selected from all Washington State high school juniors taking a pre-college test battery in spring 1973. For the total group of males vs. the total group of females data analyses indicated that males took significantly more coursework in three of four mathematics sub-areas studied (algebra, geometry, and advanced mathematics), significantly more physics coursework, and scored higher than females on all 6 subtests studied (four quantitative, one spatial ability, and one mechanical reason-ing), while females earned significantly higher overall mathematics GPA. However, after statistically controlling for the amount of coursework taken in the five areas (four mathematics subdivisions plus physics), sex differences disappeared on two of the four quantitative tests and on the test of spatial abi I ity. Sex difference research is deeply indebted to Maccoby and Jacklin (Maccoby, 1966; Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974) for succinctly organizing psychological research on a variety of sex difference top-ics. With respect to quantitative ability these investigators noted that, in general, there are no differences between boys and girls below age 14. However, sex differences subsequently emerge favoring males. Various explanatory factors have been offered including the greater tendency of males to enroll in mathematics and mathematics related courses in high school and later (Ernest, 1976; Remick & Miller, Reprint requests should be directed to the author at the Educational Assessment Center