Formal Operations: Age and Sex Differences in Chinese and American Children

Abstract

DOUGLAS, JOAN DELAHANTY, and WONG, ANN CATHERINE. Formal Operations: Age and Sex Differences in Chinese and American Children. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1977, 48, 689-692. Hong Kong Chinese and 60 American adolescents were given 3 Piagetian tasks of formal operations in order to assess cultural, age, and sex differences. Significant effects were demonstrated, American subjects performing at a more advanced level than Chinese subjects, 15-year-olds more advanced than 13-year-olds, and males performing better than females. Chinese females demonstrated the lowest scores on each of the tasks. Results supported previous findings in emphasizing the importance of the milieu and are discussed in terms of the need to consider sex differences, particularly on tasks of formal operations.