Contemporary psychology, Vol. 10 No. 2, 2007.
Original scientific paper
Gender differences in general knowledge: Four Croatian studies
Predrag Zarevski
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
Dragutin Ivanec
orcid.org/0000-0002-3051-3208
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
Zrinka Zarevski
; Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb
Richard Lynn
; University of Ulster
Abstract
Gender differences in general knowledge are reported for four studies of school students aged 15 and 18 years in Croatia (n = 4430) and the results are compared with those obtained for college students in the United States and in Northern Ireland. The results are generally consistent across the three countries in finding that males had more knowledge of the domains of discovery and exploration, finance, geography, history, politics, science and sport. Females had more knowledge in the domains of cookery and medicine. The results extend knowledge in this area by showing the cross-cultural consistency of gender differences in different domains of knowledge, and in showing that these differences are present in mid-adolescence. It is noted that the domains of which males have more general knowledge are concerned with competition between males in sport, current affairs, history and politics. The domains of which females have more general knowledge are concerned with nuturance, expressed through interest in the domains of medicine and nutrition. These gender differences in interests are interpreted in terms of evolutionary psychology.
Keywords
gender differences; general knowledge
Hrčak ID:
81389
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2007.
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