Cognitive Sex Differences: Evidence from Indian Young Adults

Abstract

In the present study, we examined the effect of sex on cognitive abilities among young adults. Our total sample was comprised of 64 participants (33 females). Males and females were matched with respect to age and years of education. Each participant underwent a detailed neuropsychological assessment, including assessment of attention, executive functions, fluency, verbal and visuospatial memory. Results revealed that females exhibited superior performance in verbal domain such as learning, immediate memory, and fruit fluency. Additionally, a noteworthy trend was observed indicating females’ enhanced performance on verbal delayed recall, animal and vegetable fluency. Contrastingly, no discernible gender-based effects were identified in relation to executive functions, working memory, or visuospatial ability. It is pertinent to note that our findings did not conclusively support male superiority in the visuospatial or verbal domains. In conclusion, the present study provides valuable insights into sex-related differences in cognitive abilities among young adults. Nonetheless, further investigations employing larger sample sizes across diverse age groups are imperative to validate and extend these findings.