Women Have Higher IQs Than Men, Says Science

Women Have Higher IQs Than Men, Says Science


By Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger

Shine from Yahoo! Canada – Tue, 17 Jul, 2012 9:12 AM EDT

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Who is smarter, girls or boys? It's a perennial battle of the sexes that rages in schoolyards and over dinner tables across the nation. According new research by James Flynn, a world-renowned expert on IQ testing, the answer is that women are starting to edge out their male counterparts in the brains department.




Flynn examined data from western European countries, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Argentina and Estonia and found that for the first time in a century of testing, women are scoring higher than men on IQ examinations. Until recently, women's scores lagged behind men's by as much as five percent leading some scientists to claim that men were inherently more intelligent than women. Over the decades, men's and women's scores have both improved, but women's have surged more dramatically. "The full effect of modernity on women is only just emerging," Flynn told the Sunday Times of London.



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..Women Have Higher IQs Than Men, Says Science

By Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger
Shine from Yahoo! Canada – Tue, 17 Jul, 2012 9:12 AM EDT

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The girls vs. the boysWho is smarter, girls or boys? It's a perennial battle of the sexes that rages in schoolyards and over dinner tables across the nation. According new research by James Flynn, a world-renowned expert on IQ testing, the answer is that women are starting to edge out their male counterparts in the brains department.



Flynn examined data from western European countries, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Argentina and Estonia and found that for the first time in a century of testing, women are scoring higher than men on IQ examinations. Until recently, women's scores lagged behind men's by as much as five percent leading some scientists to claim that men were inherently more intelligent than women. Over the decades, men's and women's scores have both improved, but women's have surged more dramatically. "The full effect of modernity on women is only just emerging," Flynn told the Sunday Times of London.





IQ, or "intelligence quotient" tests were developed in the early 20th Century. They rate a subject's aptitude for solving problems and understanding concepts compared with the general population. Tests generally examine language ability, mathematic ability, memory, and spatial ability. A score of over 130 indicates exceptional intelligence with the median score being about 100.



[See also: Love makes kids' brains grow]



While multi-tasking has gotten a bad wrap in some psychological literature, Flynn speculates that the demands put on women's brains when they juggle work and family may have helped boost their scores. Another possibility he cites is that women have a higher potential for intelligence--which is emerging as they are given more opportunities to compete in the world outside the home. Flynn is currently working on a book on the subject of gender and IQ and says more research needs to be done in order to fully understand the results.



In the United States, this research coincides with statistics that show women now make up more than half of college undergraduates and hold more advanced degrees than men.

http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/women-have-higher-iqs-than-men--says-science.html

Women fret over their bodies three times a day, says study

Women fret over their bodies three times a day, says study


.By Jordana Divon

Shine On

Let's face it. We think about our bodies. A lot.




And if images of the perfect physique were prevalent before, they're absolutely inescapable now, whether it's a headline screaming "Get Fit for Bikini Season" over an airbrushed posterior, or a Kardashian discussing her (expensive and sponsored) diet and exercise regime.



But a recent study carried out by hotel chain Travelodge claims researchers have managed to quantify the amount of times the average U.K. woman thinks about her figure.



That magic number? Three.



Also see: Women now have higher IQs than men, breaking a 100 year international trend



According to the informal study, seven in ten British females fret over the way they look an average of three times a day.



And it's not just a female domain anymore. The same study found that 61 per cent of British males worry about flabby abs and undefined pecs.



What's more, 80 per cent of those polled believed their lives would become an endless parade of sunshine and lollipops if only they looked like David Beckham or Gisele Bundchen.



The most villainous body part proved to be the stomach, with 75 per cent of all those polled lamenting several extra pounds around their midsection.



Next up on the least popular list?



For women it was legs, bum, arms and hips, while men conceded that their arms and shoulders could use more gym time.



Travelodge spokesperson Shakila Ahmed weighed in on the findings and blamed our obsession with celebrity culture for the obsessional uptick.



"It's staggering that such a large proportion of men and women find themselves worrying about their weight every day," she says.



"Stars like Cameron Diaz and Kim Kardashian as well David Beckham are thought to have the 'perfect' figure… Many Brits feel the pressure to look just as good and it's having a huge impact on their lives."



Also see: Working mothers vs. stay-at-home moms: Study finds many similarities among Canadian moms



While it's a stretch to think researchers can pin an exact figure on the mental resources we allot toward our body, no doubt the pressure to look perfect has managed to infiltrate our daily lives.



You could even argue that body anxiety has become a social norm, with many women bonding over their abdominal concerns and the same number of men competing over who puts in the most time on the weight bench.



It's a noteworthy preoccupation at a time when weight levels are hitting all-time highs across much of the planet.



The BBC recently published a "global fat scale" that assigns readers a new nationality based on their BMI and the average weight of listed countries.



Here in Canada, our average weight levels are also increasing and so is our preoccupation with them.



A Statistics Canada self-reporting survey shows that from 2003 - 2011 obesity among men rose 3.8 per cent and 2.3 per cent among women.



The Telegraph reports that British women have become the heaviest in Europe, with an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 26.9. British men were at 26.6.



A healthy BMI for adults ranges from 18.5 to 25, depending on gender and height.



The Canadian Women's Health Network warned that girls as young as 5 and 6 are taking measures to control their weight. And if children that young are already conscious of their body image, imagine how much that will grow by the time they hit puberty.



So what do you think? Does three times a day sound right, or are the researchers way off base?