Sex differences in general intelligence defined as g among young adolescents

The g factor is common to all cognitive abilities and to measures of academic performance. An important question in the research on cognitive sex differences is whether, on average, females and males differ in g. This question is technically the most difficult to answer. Furthermore, it has been the least investigated. In the present study, two samples of young adolescents solved several cognitive and scholastic (achievement) tests. The samples were a total of 1565 young adolescents (797 girls and 768 boys). Sex was considered to obtain separate g factors. The congruence coefficients between the g vectors extracted for each sex suggested a near identity. Then the sex difference in g was represented on each of the subtests in terms of a point-biserial correlation. These correlations were included with the full matrix of subtest intercorrelations for factor analysis, The results reveal the factor loading of sex on g, which in the present study suggest a null sex difference. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.