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CIE ASCognitive Psychology

Billington et al 2007

Cognitive style predicts…Learning and Individual Differences, 17, 260-268

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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

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♂ and ♀ - can you add more?

Mathematics

Physics

Map reading

Mental 2d & 3d rotation

Empathy

Emotional responses

Social nuances

Comforting

Judging character

Building

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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

What do you think are the key words or phrases in this title?

We’ll have a look at all parts of this title as we look at the study…

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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??

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Empathizing & Systemizing 260-1

Empathizing definition 261, p1

Cognitive + affective componentsCog: Understanding another’s mind (ToM)Aff: the resulting emotional response

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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

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LEFTSystemizing?

RIGHTEmpathizing?

The E-S model 261 & 263

Two self-report questionnaires, forced choice formatSQ (& SQ-R)EQ

Evaluate this methodE.g. objectivity, experimental validity, turning

qualitative experience into quantitative data, reductionism… anything else?

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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 occupationsnot due to gender, but S>E and E>S

differencesWhat courses/careers are more popular for

S>E personalities? And for E>S?

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E-S theory: some evidence 262

Wheelwright et al. (2006)Physical science students: S>EHumanities students: E>S

Her study did not include any performance measures as validation.Billington et al. (2007) use questionnaire

and performance measures of E and S.

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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

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Method 1/5 262-3

ParticipantsWho were they?Can you spot any ethnocentric bias? Is that an issue for external validity?Why test for handedness?Were any participants excluded?

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Method 2/5 263

Ps completed two questionnaires and two performance tasks online.

Evaluate:Experimental validityReliabilityConvenience

…Anything else?

Click here to do the EQ and SQ tests

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Method 3/5 263

Psychometric questionnaires EQ and SQ-R

5 ‘brain types’xE, E, B, S, xSWhy those %?

Billington et al. said so

2.5%

35%

65%

97.5%

Method 4/5 263-4

Embedded Figures TaskForced choice (of 2)Tests what?

Eyes Task Baron-Cohen et al., (2001)

Forced choice (of 4)Tests what?

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Method 5/5 264

ScoringReflects error rate and reaction time

0-24 for FC-EFT (12 items)0-72 for Eyes test (36 items)

… move on …

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Results 264-268

Sex difference & type of study?59% physical science students → ♂70% humanities students → ♀

Sex difference & cognitive style?66% ♂ 29% ♀ → S or xS37% ♀ 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?

Type of study & cognitive style?Physical science → 56% S/xS, 14% E/xEHumanities → 42% E/xE, 30% S/xS

Type of study & performance tasks?FC-EFT → phys. sci. > hum.Eyes Task → hum. > phys. sci.

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Results 264-268

What does this all MEAN in

terms of aim 3?

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Results 264-268

Which of these IVs the strongest predictor for entry into a subject?

And what does this MEAN in

terms of aim 4?

Brain type / cognitive style Sex FC-EFT Eyes Task

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Results – exam practice

So… now…What were the main findings of Billington et

al. 2007?

Practise the skills: (knowledge + analysis = full marks )

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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…

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Evaluation

Approaches: ind diffs, cog, phys, dev, soc Issues

Validity: Eco. Eth. Exp. Ext.ReliabilityUsefulness

DebatesSituation vs. DispositionReductionism vs. HolismNature vs. Nurture

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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 ♂ & ♀

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Terminology testing time

Empathizing & EQSystemizing & SQ-R

Cognitive style / brain typeTheory of mind

Cognitive & affective componentsTraits

Dimorphic / dimorphism 262

Further reading

Go back to the first slide. Click on the researchers’ pictures to open their homepages.Also:

Cognitive stylesLearning styles

AutismRight and left brain hemispheres

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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]