Memory & Cognition: What difference does gender make?

Author

Donna J. Bridge

Degree Type

Honors Capstone Project

Date of Submission

Spring 5-1-2006

Capstone Advisor

Dr. Marc W. Howard

Honors Reader

Dr. D. Bruce Carter

Capstone Major

Psychology

Capstone College

Arts and Science

Audio/Visual Component

no

Capstone Prize Winner

no

Won Capstone Funding

no

Honors Categories

Social Sciences

Subject Categories

Cognition and Perception | Cognitive Psychology | Other Psychology | Psychology

Abstract

Small but significant gender differences, typically favoring women, have previously been observed in experiments measuring human episodic memory performance. In three studies measuring episodic memory, we compared performance levels for men and women. Secondary analysis from a pairedassociate learning task revealed a superior ability for women to learn single function pairs (i.e. words that are represented in only one pair), but performance levels for double function pairs (i.e. pairs that contain words that are also used in one other pair) were similar for men and women. We also reanalyzed data from a recognition experiment that used pictures as stimuli, and discovered an enhanced propensity for women to recollect the test probes in comparison to men, but familiarity based judgments had minimal differences between genders. A prospective study was conducted in order to compare the effect of gender on a delayed free recall task that included basic arithmetic problems as part of the distractor task. Implications for gender differences are discussed with regard to biological factors involving estrogen, and relevant social factors.

Recommended Citation

Bridge, Donna J., "Memory & Cognition: What difference does gender make?" (2006). Honors Capstone Projects - All. 655.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/655

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.