Example research essay topic: Are Girls Smarter Than Boys - 779 words

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Are Girls Smarter Than Boys? Numerous researches proved that boys are poorer students, who more often become disconnected from and disillusioned by the school. The statistics is sad: Campuses are now nearly 60 percent female, with women earning 170, 000 more bachelor degrees each year than men. (CBS News) Nevertheless, after reviewing statistics and research works, it is still very difficult to say whether girls are smarter than boys. It is more likely that females are more achievement-driven and career-focused as a result of social changes that have taken place in the 20 th century (e.

g. the feminist movement). Contrary to the commonly held view that boys have an advantage over girls in school, girls appear to have an edge in terms of their future plans, teachers expectations, everyday experiences at school and interactions in the classroom. Therefore, it is more a question of how both genders are being brought up rather than which one of them is smarter. There is no hard scientific evidence to suggest that men are more intelligent than women but psychological tests suggest that the sexes differ in their ability at different skills (PR Newswire). Men, it has been said, are better at tasks that involve spatial skills and math, while women are better at verbal and language skills.

Womens brains are, on average, slightly smaller than mens but this reflects their smaller body size and recent studies suggest that women have the same number of brain cells, just crammed into a smaller space. Men and womens brains do, however, develop under the control of different sex hormones - testosterone imposes a male brain, the default is female. The only clear difference in brain structure is the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that regulates body cycles like menstruation and sleep), which is larger in men than in women. Medical scientists recently monitored brain activity using a non-invasive imaging technique called NMR - nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. They discovered that, when men and women were asked to match like sounding words, men used the right hand side of the brain and women used both left and right. What is not clear is if this reflects womens greater ability in communication skills or bears any relevance to differences in intelligence (PR Newswire).

So why do boys and girls get a different upbringing? Psychology professor Judith Kleinfeld of the University of Alaska points out that males are more apt than females to believe that the school climate is hostile to them, that teachers do not expect as much from them and give them less encouragement to do their best. Boys traditionally have earned lower grades, trailed girls in class rankings and won fewer school honors. There already exists a stereotype that girls are more studious than boys. Many parents agree with that and intentionally, or unintentionally, direct their boys towards sports more than towards classes. Moreover, because so many universities offer full scholarships for good athletes the time invested in sports, and not in classes, pays off in many cases.

American culture does not praise intelligence just for its own sake. On the contrary, as it is noted in The Gender Gap, teenagers are teased by each other for being smart. Americans mostly associate terms being smart with being rich. Men, therefore, should find a way of how to earn money and if they manage to do it without stressing too much about their grades in school that is fine. Women, on the other hand, have fought for their rights to get equal education opportunities, and are using their every chance now. The authors of the articles say that the purpose of it is to find out why there is no public outcry for the boys being so much behind the girls in academics.

The society probably tolerates the situation because it does not seem so bad for many people. The anti-learning culture is widely spread among Americans. Girls are being constantly reminded of their girl-power and boys of how poorly they perform in schools. While the science finds no direct relation between gender and intellectual abilities, they society attributes girls better performance to them being smarter than boys. The whole issue is about how to change the way people perceive each sexs role in the society.

Getting men back on track of academic achievements might be just as difficult as it was for the women to get their equal opportunity rights in the past. References: Differences Between Boys and Girls Are Found in Nature and the Brain, Not in Socialization, Renowned Experts Tell National Press Club Audience, Issue: Sept 18, 2000, WASHINGTON, PR Newswire The Gender Gap: Boys Lagging, Oct. 31, 2002, CBS News

Research essay sample on Are Girls Smarter Than Boys