Men are more intelligent than women, claims new study

By BEN CLERKIN & FIONA MACRAE

Last updated at 13:38 14 September 2006

It is research that is guaranteed to delight men - and infuriate
the women in their lives. A controversial new study has claimed
that men really are more intelligent than women.

British-born researcher John Philippe Rushton, who previously
created a furore by suggesting intelligence is influenced by race,
says the finding could explain why so few women make it to the top
in the workplace.

He claims the 'glass ceiling' phenomenon is probably due to
inferior intelligence, rather than discrimination or lack of
opportunity.

The University of Western Ontario psychologist reached his
conclusion after scrutinising the results of university aptitude
tests taken by 100,000 students aged 17 and 18 of both sexes.

A focus on a factors such as the ability to quickly grasp a
complex concept, verbal reasoning skills and creativity - some of
they key ingredients of intelligence - revealed the male teenagers
had IQs that were an average of 3.63 points higher. The average
person has an IQ of around 100.

The findings, which held true for all classes and levels of
parental education, overturn a 100 year consensus that men and
women average the same in general mental ability. They also
conflict with evidence that girls do better in school exams than
boys.

But Prof Rushton, who was born in Bournemouth and obtained his
doctorate in social psychology from the London School of Economics,
argues that the faster maturing of girls leads to them outshining
boys in the classroom.