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CIE AS Cognitive Psychology. Billington et al 2007 Cognitive style predicts… Learning and Individual Differences, 17, 260-268. Men ♂ and Women ♀. What differences are there between men’s and women’s behaviour? And why?
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CIE ASCognitive Psychology Billington et al 2007 Cognitive style predicts… Learning and Individual Differences, 17, 260-268
Men ♂ and Women ♀ • What differences are there between men’s and women’s behaviour? • And why? • What are men generally better at than women and what are women generally better at than men? • Look at the following page
♂ and ♀ - can you add more? Mathematics Empathy Mental 2d & 3d rotation Comforting Map reading Social nuances Emotional responses Physics Building Judging character
What do you think are the key words or phrases in this title? Billington J., Baron-Cohen S. & Wheelwright S., 2007 Cognitive style predicts entry into physical sciences and humanities: Questionnaire and performance tests of empathy and systemizing We’ll have a look at all parts of this title as we look at the study…
Cognitive style • Do you know your cognitive style? • How do you think? • Logical/Rational? Intuitive/Instinctive? • How do you solve problems? • Mathematical problems? • Relationship problems? • Others’ problems? • You have no problems??
Empathizing & Systemizing 260-1 • Empathizing definition 261, p1 • Cognitive + affective components • Cog: Understanding another’s mind (ToM) • Aff: the resulting emotional response
Empathising & Systemising 260-1 • Systemizing definition 261, p2 • Analyses rules which underlie systems • Input →Operation → Output • technical, natural, abstract, social, spatial, organisable • May have physiological basis in R hemisphere
LEFT Systemizing? RIGHT Empathizing?
The E-S model 261 & 263 • Two self-report questionnaires, forced choice format • SQ (& SQ-R) • EQ • Evaluate this method • E.g. objectivity, experimental validity, turning qualitative experience into quantitative data, reductionism… anything else?
E-S theory predicts… 261 • What does E-S theory predict about ♀ and ♂ drives, on average? Baron-Cohen 2002 • N.b. There are always atypical males and females. E-S theory predicts a tendency. • ♀ and ♂ select different fields of study and/or occupations • not due to gender, but S>E and E>S differences • What courses/careers are more popular for S>E personalities? And for E>S?
E-S theory: some evidence 262 • Wheelwright et al. (2006) • Physical science students: S>E • Humanities students: E>S • Her study did not include any performance measures as validation. • Billington et al. (2007) use questionnaire andperformance measures of E and S.
Aims 262 • 1. Retest sex ratio in physical sciences and humanities • 2. Test if ♂ show S>E profile and ♀ show E>S profile using performance and questionnaire assessment • 3. Test if physical science students show S>E and humanities students show E>S using q. and p. assessment • 4. Test if cognitive style > sex in explaining enrolment into courses
Method 1/5 262-3 • Participants • Who were they? • Can you spot any ethnocentric bias? • Is that an issue for external validity? • Why test for handedness? • Were any participants excluded?
Method 2/5 263 • Ps completed two questionnaires and two performance tasks online. • Evaluate: • Experimental validity • Reliability • Convenience • …Anything else? Click here to do the EQ and SQ tests
Method 3/5 263 • Psychometric questionnaires EQ and SQ-R • 5 ‘brain types’ • xE, E, B, S, xS • Why those %? • Billington et al. said so 2.5% 35% 65% 97.5% This graph is an illustration and does not show the results for Billington et al 2007.
Method 4/5 263-4 • Embedded Figures Task • Forced choice (of 2) • Tests what? • Eyes Task Baron-Cohen et al., (2001) • Forced choice (of 4) • Tests what?
Method 5/5 264 • Scoring • Reflects error rate and reaction time • 0-24 for FC-EFT (12 items) • 0-72 for Eyes test (36 items) • … move on …
Results 264-268 • Sex difference & type of study? • 59% physical science students → ♂ • 70% humanities students → ♀ • Sex difference & cognitive style? • 66% ♂ 29% ♀ → S or xS • 37% ♀ 10% ♂ → E or xE • Sex difference & performance tasks? • Eyes test → ♀>♂ • FC-EFT → no sig. diff. So… WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN in terms of aims 1&2?
Results 264-268 • Type of study & cognitive style? • Physical science → 56% S/xS, 14% E/xE • Humanities → 42% E/xE, 30% S/xS • Type of study & performance tasks? • FC-EFT → phys. sci. > hum. • Eyes Task → hum. > phys. sci. What does this all MEAN in terms of aim 3?
Results 264-268 • Which of these IVs the strongest predictor for entry into a subject? Brain type / cognitive style Sex FC-EFT Eyes Task And what does this MEAN in terms of aim 4?
Results – exam practice • So… now… • What were the main findings of Billington et al. 2007? • Practise the skills: • (knowledge + analysis = full marks )
Conclusions 266-7 • What relationships are there between 1. sex, 2. cognitive style, 3. cognitive performance and 4. academic degree subject? • As many as you can…
Evaluation • Approaches: ind diffs, cog, phys, dev, soc • Issues • Validity: Eco. Eth. Exp. Ext. • Reliability • Usefulness • Debates • Situation vs. Disposition • Reductionism vs. Holism • Nature vs. Nurture
Applications 266-7 • E- or S-style seems a better predictor of academic / career suitability than gender • Better use of success-prediction resources, e.g. careers advice • Classrooms – educators can adapt their methods e.g. Gredlein & Bjorklund 2005 • Improve understanding between ♂ & ♀
Terminology testing time • Empathizing & EQ • Systemizing & SQ-R • Cognitive style / brain type • Theory of mind • Cognitive & affective components • Traits • Dimorphic / dimorphism 262
Further reading • Go back to the first slide. Click on the researchers’ pictures to open their homepages. Also: • Cognitive styles • Learning styles • Autism • Right and left brain hemispheres
Some AS exam questions • Paper 1A (Specimen 2012) • Billington, Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright (empathizing and systemizing) used a forced choice version of the Embedded Figures Task to measure systematizing. • (a) What is meant by a ‘forced choice task’? [2] • (b) The Eyes Task collected quantitative data. Why might psychologists choose to collect quantitative data? [2] • Paper 2B (Specimen 2012, edited) • (a) Outline what is meant by quantitative and qualitative data. [2] • Using the studies from the list below, answer the questions which follow. • Billington, Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright (empathizing and systemizing) • Piliavin, Rodin and Piliavin (subway Samaritans) • Dement and Kleitman (sleep and dreaming) • (b) Describe the quantitative and/or qualitative data in each of these studies. [9] • (c) What problems may psychologists have when their research has only quantitative or qualitative data? [9]