Discuss one example of a difference between males and females that used to be considered “hard-wired” but is now considered to be the result of social factors

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: There are probably several examples the student could draw on, but the one most documented in the textbook is the question of spatial orientation. For some time there has been a consistent, if small, difference noted in the speed with which the two sexes are able to rotate objects mentally. Recent research has suggested that this effect is influenced by the situation. For example, if both sexes are given an opportunity to practice this skill, the differences disappear. Also interesting is that if the object is made of human figures instead of abstract blocks, the differences are eliminated. Even framing the task as an evaluation of mental abilities, the difference is eliminated. Differences on the task then can be seen as conceptual or social, not perceptual.