The relationship between gonadal hormones and the emergence of cognitive sex differences : year four of a longitudinal study

UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Shi N. Ansel (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
Advisor
William Overman

Abstract: Cognitive sex differences among adults have been consistently acknowledged in the scientific literature. Males typically perform better than females on various tests of spatial abilities. Females typically perform better than males on tests of fine motor dexterity, object and location memory tasks, and tests of verbal fluency. However, data have shown that these sex differences typically do not appear before puberty. There is compelling evidence from adult studies that at least some of these sex specific behaviors are correlated with levels of circulating testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone. The present study is in the 4th year of a longitudinal study in which adolescents were tested in their 7th, 8th, 9th, and now 10th grade years. Adolescents completed six cognitive tasks that have shown sex differences in adults. Performance on these tasks was correlated with circulating levels of estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone and compared with performance in the previous three years.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
Estradiol, Progesterone, Sex differences (Psychology), Sex differences--Genetic aspects, Sex differences--Physiological aspects, Testosterone
Subjects
Sex differences (Psychology)
Sex differences -- Physiological aspects
Sex differences -- Genetic aspects
Testosterone
Estradiol
Progesterone

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