Abstract This study examined sex differences in tech tilt, based on within-subject differences in technical abilities (e.g., mechanical and electrical) and academic abilities (math or verbal) on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The within-subject differences produced two types of tilt: tech tilt (tech > academic), indicating stronger technical abilities, and academic tilt (academic > tech), indicating stronger academic abilities. Tech tilt was correlated with math and verbal abilities on college aptitude tests (SAT, ACT, PSAT) and with jobs and college majors in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and humanities. Males showed a tech tilt bias, and females showed an academic tilt bias. The tilt biases persisted after controlling for general intelligence (g). Tech tilt correlated negatively with academic abilities on the college aptitude tests (SAT, ACT, PSAT), with larger effects for females. In addition, relations of tech tilt with STEM jobs and majors were generally larger (and more often significant) for males, but only for tech tilt based on technical and verbal abilities. The negative relations of tech tilt with academic abilities on the college aptitude tests are consistent with investment theories, which predict that investment in one ability (technical) comes at the expense of competing abilities (academic). The sex differences in tech tilt and STEM support trait complexes involving abilities, interests, and vocational preferences (e.g., people versus things). Future research should examine whether spatial abilities and vocational interests mediate relations of tech tilt with sex and STEM criteria.

中文翻译：

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技术倾斜的性别差异：支持投资理论

摘要 本研究基于在武装部队职业能力倾向电池 (ASVAB) 上的技术能力（例如，机械和电气）和学术能力（数学或语言）的学科内差异，研究了技术倾斜的性别差异。学科内差异产生两种类型的倾斜：技术倾斜（技术>学术），表明技术能力更强，学术倾斜（学术>技术），表明更强的学术能力。技术倾斜与大学能力测试（SAT、ACT、PSAT）中的数学和语言能力以及 STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）和人文学科的工作和大学专业相关。男性表现出技术倾斜偏见，女性表现出学术倾斜偏见。在控制一般智力 (g) 后，倾斜偏差仍然存在。技术倾斜与大学能力倾向测试（SAT、ACT、PSAT）的学术能力呈负相关，对女性的影响更大。此外，男性的技术倾斜与 STEM 工作和专业的关系通常更大（而且通常更显着），但仅限于基于技术和语言能力的技术倾斜。在大学能力倾向测试中，技术倾斜与学术能力的负相关与投资理论一致，该理论预测对一种能力（技术）的投资是以牺牲竞争能力（学术）为代价的。技术倾斜和 STEM 中的性别差异支持涉及能力、兴趣和职业偏好（例如，人与物）的特质复合体。