Question

which best describes the current understanding of gender differences in cognitive abilities?
there is currently a debate about whether these differences are genetic or the result of cultural and environmental factors.
there is no evidence that cultural and environmental factors can affect these differences.
there is no evidence that these differences are biological.
there are no gender differences in cognitive abilities.
question 25 (1 point)
based on what you know about cerebral lateralization, if the left hemisphere were damaged, how would that affect a persons perceptual processing?
a person would have difficulty perceiving the local details of a scene
a person would have difficulty perceiving the global details of a scene
both local and global details would be affected
none of the above

Explanation:

• For the first question: Research in psychology shows that there is an ongoing debate regarding whether gender differences in cognitive abilities are due to genetics (biological factors) or cultural and environmental influences. There is evidence that both can play a role, so the claim that there is no evidence for cultural/environmental factors (second option) or no biological evidence (third option) is incorrect. Also, research does indicate some gender differences in cognitive abilities in certain areas (so the fourth option is wrong).
• For the second question: In cerebral lateralization, the left hemisphere is more involved in processing local details. The right hemisphere is more associated with global processing. So if the left hemisphere is damaged, a person would have difficulty with local details.

Answer:

• First question: There is currently a debate about whether these differences are genetic or the result of cultural and environmental factors.
• Second question: A person would have difficulty perceiving the local details of a scene.