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Abstract

Gender differences in interests and preferences are among the currently accepted potential explanations for the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In an attempt to analyze the development of such preferences, gender differences expressed in essays written by gifted elementary students were assessed. Students were asked to hypothetically embody a cabinet member and advise the president to solve the nation’s most important problem. Numerous significant gender differences were found, including which cabinet post was selected, the type of problem selected as well as the implications for solution implementation. These findings illustrate that the development of gender differences is an ongoing process that has already begun by the end of elementary school.

Keywords

gifted gender differences writing career choice

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Gender Differences in Gifted Students’ Advice on Solving the World’s Problems

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