Analytic Tendency As a Factor in the Performance of Women on the Iowa Pursuitmeter

Women subjects were dichotomized into analyzers and non-analyzers on the basis of their verbal statements regarding their approach in solving Kohs-type block design problems. Groups of analyzers and non-analyzers then learned to perform the standard task on the Iowa Pursuitmeter, and were found to differ only slightly in the amount of skill acquired over 24 trials. These results are in contrast to those of Miles for male analyzers who were found to perform at significantly higher levels of proficiency than non-analyzers. A sex difference apparently attributable to the extreme difficulty of the task for women is discussed