ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some of the methodological issues involved in describing gender differences. It is divided into two parts: a consideration of the measurement of sex differences, and an examination of how outcomes of investigations indicate differences between men and women. The goal of the methodological and statistical discussion provides, whenever possible, common issues facing researchers regardless of the assumptions made about the basis of sex differences. It considers a re-examination of how the previous results, generally considered disappointing, may in fact turn out to provide some important implications, but only if the people consider the normal curve. The chapter considers the interpretation of finding sex differences and focuses on the question of how to interpret the impact of gender differences found by an investigation or a meta-analysis. The chapter considers the statistical issues when examining sex/gender differences. Social science scholarship often examines differences between groups.
