Men May Overestimate Math Abilities by Dr. Rick Nauer

Photo: Dr. Rick Nauert

"New research suggest that men think they are much better in math than they really are. Women, however, tend to have an accurate appraisal of their arithmetic capabilities." according to Dr. Rick Nauert, associate professor for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals doctoral program in health promotion and wellness.

Photo: PsychCentral.com (blog)

The findings are somewhat surprising given the abundance of men in careers of science and engineering.
In the U.S., a significant gap exists between the number of men and women who choose to study and follow careers in the so-called STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

This is true even though women outperform their male counterparts on mathematical tests in elementary school.

In the new study, Shane Bench, Ph.D., of Washington State University and colleagues examined how people’s biases and previous experiences about their mathematical abilities make them more or less likely to consider pursuing math-related courses and careers.

Research findings appear in the journal Sex Roles.

Two studies were conducted, one using 122 undergraduate students and the other 184 participants. Each group first completed a math test before guessing how well they had fared at providing the right answers.
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Additional resources 
Bench, S.W. et al (2015). Gender Gaps in Overestimation of Math Performance, Sex Roles. DOI 10.1007/s11199-015-0486-9

Source: PsychCentral.com (blog)