International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ___________________________________ ISSN 2278-3202Vol. 3(12), 1-4, December (2014) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association        
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The Relationship between Thinking Style and Gender in High School Students Masafi Saideh, Rezaei Omid, Najafi Nazanin, Hoseynzade Hadis and Tehranchi Katayoun*2Department of psychology, Kish International Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kish, IRAN M D Department of Psychiatry, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IRAN. Available online at: 
www.isca.in, www.isca.me
Received 7th January 2014, revised 31st April 2014, accepted 14th May 2014Abstract  Various researches show that thinking style is correlated with creativity, problem-solving, decision-making, educational and vocational advancement and different elements such as gender could affect the thinking style. Thus, this correlation research aimed to study the relationship between thinking style and gender. All the male and female students of district 13 of Tehran were taken as statistical universe. The sampling method was cluster sampling. The sample was composed of 200 students (100 males and 100 females). The Sternberg-Wagner inventory was used including five thinking style: Legislative, Judicative, Executive, Introspective and Extra tensive. The data was analyzed by SPSS software and Independent T-Test was used to compare the males and females mean. Given the findings of this research the males’ mean of legislative thinking style (T =3.47, df=198) and Introspective thinking style (T=3.06, df=198) was more than those of females and this difference was significant while the females mean in judicative, executive and extra tensive thinking style was more than those of males and this difference was significant in 2styles : judicative (T=5.36, df=198) and extra tensive (T=3.2, df=198) with p0.05 but  difference was not significant in executive thinking style (T=2.03,df=198). Keywords:Thinking style, gender, male students, female student.Introduction All of us are confronted with some challenges and problems. However, ever body responds to his/her problems in a specific way. Some, while being faced with some problems, attempt to resolve and prevent them by correct and precise evaluation and using support system. Smart behavior is a combination of cognitive, social and emotional components.  Based on the triad theory of intelligence, conceptually intelligent people are ones who invest on their strengths and modify their own weaknesses, and a major part of such an investment is dependent on a matching between individual abilities and thought style which is chosen by him/her preferably. A style is a way of thinking, to modify the style is not synonymous with ability but it is the way to use individual abilities. It is difficult to distinguish between styles and ability, the ability refers to the fact that how well a person can do something but the style means how the person likes to do job. Abilities prediction is measured through tests. Individual ability effects on educational and occupational performance of the human being. The fact that people prefer how to think can be as important as how to think well.  Thinking styles include different types: Legislative, Judicative, Executive, Introspective and Extratensive. Generally, people with different thinking styles would like to use their abilities in different ways and relative to their thinking type, they present different responses. De bono addresses importance of success: “Source of all human forces is thinking.  Even though by being  very  expert  in  this  regard,  we  need  still  to  think  better  and  better” . Investigation about thinking styles and cognitive styles is derived from studies related to social, physiological and psychological aspects. Realizing and recognizing models related with thinking styles are actually one of the psychological fundamental developments in 20th Century. Individuals have stable and distinct ability to encrypt, store and process their data which is basically independent from intelligence. Sternberg and Grigorenko choose 199 students of primary schools for a research related to thinking styles and educational performance. This research shows that correlation is positive between legislative thinking style with creative thinking (0.19) and judicative thinking style with creative thinking (0.20) but there is negative correlation between executive style with creative thinking are (-0.16) 6. Sternberg addresses that thinking styles of women and men are different because specific styles may be encouraged and punished and men’s scores in comparison with women’s are higher in legislative and internal thinking styles and it is lower in judging style. Zhang and Sternberg study thinking styles of Hong Kong and Chinese students. Difference between females and males is significant in thinking style inventory so that male and female students are different in legislative, judicative, general, free and internal thinking styles, and in all cases males’ scores are higher than females’. 
Research Journal of Chemical Sciences _______________________________________________________ ISSN 2231-606X  Vol. 3(12), 1-4, December (2014) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 
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With respect to the four one-dimensional models, the styles such as field independence, reflective style, divergent thinking style, and achieving approach that are located at one pole, often show positive contributions to various learning performances9,10. Different studies suggest that thinking styles are correlated with creative process, problem solving, decision making, educational successas well as achievement, training methods and educational evaluation and also different factors including culture, age, parenting style of parents, socioeconomic status and above all gender are effective on thinking style11. There are several factors of educational success. As Vakili et al show effects of marital status, grade, state of health, and the number of daily contacts with other people on education. Since students do not have much time  to  sleep,  rest  and  leisure  activities  due  to spend  time  high   for   studying  and  doing  their research works, then  this problem can be effective on physical health domains. Improving of quality of life may be applied to improve education quality12. Besides, Awareness of one’s own thinking, awareness of  the  content  of  one’s  conceptions,  an  active monitoring   of   one’s   cognitive   processes,   an attempt to regulate one’s cognitive processes in relationship to further learning, and an application of  a  set  of  heuristics as an  effective  device  for helping people organize their methods of attack on problems in general13. Abilities prediction is measured through tests. Individual ability is effective on his/her educational and occupational performance, but thinking style is also effective on individual performance significantly. The fact that people prefer how to think can be as important as how well they think 14. Therefore, this study intended to evaluate thinking style type among male and female students, because such recognition will result in educational and occupational development. The hypothesis examined in present study was that thinking styles in two genders of female and male is different. Material and Methods This investigation was descriptive and correlation-type. The statistical society included all students of high schools of district 13of Tehran. Sampling method was cluster type and sample size included 200 students (i.e. 100 female students and 100 male students). These subjects were chosen from different high schools of district 13 of Tehran with cluster method. Thinking styles inventory of Sternberg- Wagner was used to collect data which measured five thinking styles (i.e. Legislative, Judicative, Executive, Introspective and Extratensive). The people who have legislative thinking would like to do tasks in a style that they prefer. The legislators like to enact their own laws and to address issues that previously had not been planning and organizing. People with executive thinking style would like to follow rules and laws and accept the duties which had been planned and organized in advance. The people having judicative thinking style like to evaluate laws and plans. They know some items preferred in which opinions are analyzed and evaluated. The introspective people are dealt with internal affairs and often tend to Withdrawal from others and sometimes social ignorance. Extratensive individuals are often sociable and try to work with others as much as possible and perform more successfully in group activities15.   The Sternberg inventory has 40 questions. Sternberg et al do a complete study in concerned with validity and justifiability of thinking style inventory (the inventory has a validity coefficient of 78%)15. In present study, the inventory was distributed among 200 subjects. These subjects included 100 males and 100females. Students completed Strenberg-Wagner inventory then results were analyzed by SPSS.Ethical considerations in present study were awareness of resea rch objective, voluntary participation in the test and confidentiality of the subject's characteristics and information. Results and Discussion Using T-Test in two independent groups (females and males), difference was significant in 4 thinking styles: Legislative, judicative, Introspective and extratensive (i.e. p0.05). This difference was higher in legislative and introspective styles in male and in judicative and extratensive styles in female. Executive style mean in females was higher than males but it was not significant. Obtained results are presented in following table and figure. Thinking is one of the issues which historically has been interested by permanently philosophers because they pay attention to the fact that human owes his/her civilization and culture to think. Sternberg and Grigorenko believe that study and recognition of thinking styles are important because thinking style builds a bridge between personality study and recognition. Therefore, to recognize thinking style is useful and necessary to predict educational success in educational opportunities. Also, thinking style is important and critical to predict occupational choices and success. Since a society's prosperity and dignity is dependent upon its education and according  to  how  much  educational  and  occupational  environments are  synchronized  or  conflicted  with  the individuals’ thinking style, they can have stronger or weaker presence in their different educational and occupational phases. Thinking related constructions expand our imagination against what people are able to do and also approach our imagination towards what people prefer. 
Research Journal of Chemical Sciences _______________________________________________________ ISSN 2231-606X  Vol. 3(12), 1-4, December (2014) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 
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Table-1 Results of T-Test of the thinking styles in males and femalesP value T-Test Degree of Freedom Standard Deviation Mean Groups Thinking Styles 
0.43 2.035 198 1.41 5.03 Male Executive 
0.97 5.38 Female 
0.001 3.47 198 1.05 5.6 Male Legislative 
1.25 5.02 Female 
0.001 5.36 198 1.05 4.45 Male Judicative 
0.98 5.18 Female 
0.003 3.06 198 0.85 5.21 Male Introspective 
1.38 4.72 Female 
0.002 3.2 198 1.82 6.84 Male Extratensive 
2.56 7.85 Female 
 
Figure-1 Thinking styles mean in 2 groups (males and females)Realizing thinking style helps to better find a reply for the question why some activities are suitable and some are not. Absolutely, abilities to success are very important in education but it is not the only factor because the individuals’ thinking style (i.e. a person prefers how to think) also can be as important as how well he/she thinks. Most of the students who are categorized in poor training class have potential and ability to be successful, but teachers are unable to realize their thinking and learning styles and do training in such a way not compatible with their thinking style. What is important to improve performance is not individual ability but is compatibility of individual thinking style with his/her charged duties. Since gender is considered as an effective and important factor in individual thinking style kind, recognizing thinking styles between males and females seems to be critical in order to improve individual performance.  Therefore, paying attention to thinking style seems to be a necessary issue in order to improve individual performance.  Previous studies performed by Sternberg and Grigorenko suggest difference of thinking styles between males and females. Our results were also in line with previous researches. This study showed t there are some differences between thinking style of male and female students. Male students mostly had legislator and introspective thinking styles, that is, boys actually would like to do tasks in their own method, tend to construct, invent and design and often like to work alone, concentrate on their internal world and rely on themselves; 
Research Journal of Chemical Sciences _______________________________________________________ ISSN 2231-606X  Vol. 3(12), 1-4, December (2014) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 
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while girls frequently had judging, operational and outward-oriented thinking styles. In fact, female students often judge and evaluate individuals and tasks, tend to obey commands and orders, and what they hear, like to work with others, concentrate on external world and they are somewhat dependent on the others to do tasks. ConclusionUltimately, since thinking style is an important and necessary indicator to improve performance and individual success in educational and occupational areas, it seems reasonable that in schools and offices suitable activities with each person’s thinking style be planned according to each his/her gender. This will result in the best performance with lower energyand timeand abundant enthusiasm. It is proposedthat in next studies, compatibility effect between individuals’ thinking style and type of designated activity in educational and occupational success be examined, because by such a way we will be able to find that how much thinking style would be an effective indicator in educational and occupational success. References 1.Zhang LF., Revisiting the predictive power of thinking styles for academic performance, Journal of Psychology :Interdisciplinary and Applied, 138(4), 351-370 (2004)2.Zhang LF and Sternberg RJ, Are learning approaches and thinking styles related?, A study in two Chinese populations, Journal of Psychology, 134(5), 469-489(2000)3.Sternberg RJ, Thinking styles, Cambridge University Press, New York, USA, (1997)4.De Bono E., Six Thinking Hat for schools, Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia,(2004)5.Atkinson S.A, Comparison of pupil learning and achievement in computer aided learning and traditionally taught situations with special reference to cognitive style and gender issues, Educational Psychology, 24(5), 659-679 (2004)6.Sternberg RJ and Grigorenko EL, Styles of thinking in school, European Journal for High Ability, 6(2), 1-18 (1995)7.Zhang LF., Thinking styles : Their relationships with modes of thinking and academic performance, Educational Psychology, 22(3), 331-348 (2002)8.Demirbas OO and Demirkan H, Learning styles of design students and the relationship of academic performance and gender in design education, Learning and Instruction, 17(3), 345-359 (2007)9.Abdollahpour MA, Kadivar P and Abdollahi MH, Relationships between cognitive styles, cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies with academic achievement, Psychological Research, 8(3-4), 30-44 (2006)10.Shokri O, Kadivar P, Farzad V and Sangari AA, Role of personality traits and learning approaches on academic achievement of university students, Psychological Research 9(3-4), 65-84 (2007)11.Emamipoor S. and Seyf A.A., Revolutional examination of thinking styles in students and scholars, and their relationship with creativity and academic success, Journal of educational Innovation, 3, (2004)12.Vakili Z, Mohamad AR and Vakili MA., A Quantitative Study of Quality of Life (QOL) on Postgraduate Students in Universiti Sains Malaysia, Caspian Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 1(7), 28-32 (2012)13.Yaghoobi Sh and Yarahmadi A, The Relation between Use of Meta-Cognitive Awareness in L2 Reading and Motivation among Undergraduate Students, Caspian Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 2(3), 57-64 (2013)14.Paradise LV and Block C, The relationship of teacher C student cognitive style to academic achievement, Journal of Research and Development in Education, 17(4), 57-61 (1984)15.Hijazi H, Comparing online and classroom students with the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory, Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 69 (12-A), 4653 (2009)16.Grigorenko EL and Sternberg RJ, Styles of thinking, abilities, and academic performance, Exceptional Children, 63 (3), 295-312 (1997)
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