Berenbaum Sheri A, Bryk Kristina L Korman, Beltz Adriene M
Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Behav Neurosci. 2012 Feb;126(1):86-96. doi: 10.1037/a0026652.
There is considerable controversy about the origins of sex differences in cognitive abilities, particularly the male superiority in spatial abilities. We studied effects of early androgens on spatial and mechanical abilities in adolescents and young adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). On tests of three-dimensional mental rotations, geography, and mechanical knowledge, females with CAH scored higher than their unaffected sisters, and males with CAH scored lower than their unaffected brothers. Exploratory regression analyses suggest that androgens affect spatial ability in females directly and through male-typed activity interests. Findings indicate that early androgens influence spatial and mechanical abilities, and that androgen effects on abilities may occur in part through effects on sex-typed activity interests.
认知能力的性别差异起源，尤其是男性在空间能力上的优势，存在着相当大的争议。我们研究了早期雄激素对先天性肾上腺皮质增生症（CAH）青少年和年轻成年人空间及机械能力的影响。在三维心理旋转、地理和机械知识测试中，患有CAH的女性得分高于未受影响的姐妹，而患有CAH的男性得分低于未受影响的兄弟。探索性回归分析表明，雄激素直接影响女性的空间能力，并通过男性化的活动兴趣产生影响。研究结果表明，早期雄激素会影响空间和机械能力，且雄激素对能力的影响可能部分是通过对性别类型活动兴趣的影响来实现的。
