A researcher examines the verbal and math SAT scores of a large sample of young men and women. For each gender, she computes a statistic called the variance, a measure of the average distance of the scores from the group mean. Based on past research, what might she predict regarding the variance in scores for each gender?
A) The variance among the young men will be equivalent to that among the young women.
B) The variance will be lower among the young men than among the young women.
C) The variance will be higher among the young men than among the young women.
D) No prediction can be made. Past research has produced inconsistent results.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Past research has consistently shown that males tend to have higher variance in cognitive abilities than females, meaning that there is a wider range of scores among males. Therefore, the researcher would likely predict that the variance in SAT scores among young men will be higher than among young women.

A Researcher Examines the Verbal and Math SAT Scores of a Large