Abstract

Because inference is a constructive process of going beyond the information explicitly given, it must be based on the pre-exisiting knowledge structures. The present study attempted to examine the gender-schema or gender-related schema in mathematics ability through the analysis of biased inference responses. Two sets, such as A-set and B-set, respectively contained four story passages (in addition to other 8 story passages) all having content subject of mathematics ability were read to 1,488 Ss. After the presentation, inference items which required to have successful forward consequence inference for each story passage were given both immediately after reading and after one week delay. Names used in the story passages were either typical boy's or typical girl's names and story passages were counter-balanced in A-set and B-set. The difference of the yes-responses to the inference item of successful forward consequence from respective story passages between those of having boy's name and the conterparts having girl's names was scored as the gender-biased prejudice. To examine the developmental tendency, subjects from the second graders to the university students were used. Equal number of subjects for respective grade were analyzed for two different sets of story passages in each grade. To conclude, it was found that inference analysis could be very effective measure in identifying the underlying knowledge structure which had been commonly called schema or gender-related schema processing. Particularly, the immediate inference-making test was more sensitive. Secondly, the gender-related biased prejudices were found forming and developing fairly early from the fifth grade and on consistently. This early development of the gender-biased schema concerning mathematics ability seemed to draw special attention.