Social factors influencing problem solving in women.

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Abstract
A series of experiments were carried out in an attempt to determine why the problem-solving performance of women is relatively poorer than that of men. The 9 problems used were rather simple, and each had a correct answer. The variables tested were: (1) sex of E, (2) added motivation, and (3) masculine vs. feminine versions of problems. The results show that each variable influences the results on some problems. Male Es' attempts to motivate Ss were successful on some problems, whereas the same attempt by female Es had a detrimental effect. Under standard motivation, women tended to perform better when a female E conducted the test. The importance of feminine vs. masculine versions of the problem showed inconsistent results, and the conclusions of previous research were not supported. The results demonstrate that the sex variable in problem-solving performance is a complex one and is not subject to simple generalizations. Women may derive comfort from the fact that under certain conditions they performed as well as men. Since the factor crucial in 1 problem situation was found to be irrelevant even in another similar problem, the authors were unable to classify problems into types in which females were at a disadvantage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

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