Gender differences in structure, means and variances of hierarchically ordered ability dimensions

The study investigates gender differences in cognitive abilities using a multivariate, latent variables approach. A test battery of 13 ability tests and 3 standardized achievement tests was given to a sample of 1224 13-year-olds, and a hierarchical model with 13 latent ability variables was fitted to the covariance matrix. No gender differences were found in the structure of cognitive abilities. There were mean differences in favor of females in general intelligence and in the broad crystallized intelligence factor. Males had higher means on most spatial dimensions, for which they also were more variable. Males also had higher means on narrow numerical and verbal ability dimensions.