Modification of Gender Differences in the Understanding of Displaced Volume

Abstract

Males generally perform better than females on tasks involving the displaced-volume concept. This training study examined whether experience and/or aptitudes play parts in this differential performance. Middleclass 8th graders who failed items on a group pre-test of displaced volume were assigned to training or control groups. All trained subjects, male or female, improved in performance on the displaced-volume task. Observations of facial expressions and postures during training added to evidence that males and females responded similarly to training. The control group showed gains as well. Training effects did not generalize to related tasks. Improvement during training was related to an aspect of Field Dependence-Independence called Familiar Field.