Gender- and Age-Related Patterns of Complexity in Adolescents' Concepts of Same-Age and Parent-Age Targets

An investigation was undertaken to examine gender and age related differences in cognitive complexity regarding targets from adolescents ‘own age-group and targets representing the age-group of most adolescents’ parents. Sixth grade, eighth grade, and high school students (N= 143) completed separate card sorts of descriptive traits for 12–14 year olds and 30–40 year olds. There was significantly greater complexity of sorts by females than by males across ages. However, cognitive differentiation did not increase for either target group across ages in the sample, and complexity of sorts was similar for own-age and parent-age targets. Although the results were not associated with gender differences in interpersonal awareness as measured by self-perceived femininity scores or gender differences in general achievement or verbal performance, the patterns of findings are consistent with hypotheses involving both informational and motivational accounts of the development of these sex differences

Age groups · Cognition · Cognitive complexity · Cognitive development · Developmental psychology · Femininity · Interpersonal communication · Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Demography · Early Childhood Education and Development · Education, Achievement, and Giftedness · Psychology · Social Psychology

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