A Preliminary Study on Sex Differences in the Development of Postformal Thinking Beliefs

Author: Wen-Bin Chiou(Center for General Education of Ling Tung College)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 45, No. 1
Date：April 2000
Pages：61-82
DOI：10.3966/2073753X2000044501004

Abstract：

The purpose of this study was to investigate the sex differences in the development of postformal thinking beliefs. Subjects were 644 ranging from late adolescence to adulthood (age from 16 to 80 years). Questionnaire was used as the research method and social paradigm belief was used to measure the postformal thinking. The logit loglinear model was used for data analysis. The results were: The percentage of postformal thinkers was significant lower than formalistic thinkers' in late adolescence group (18-23 years). In early adulthood group (24-40 years), the percentage of postformal thinkers relative to formalistic thinkers' was not significant. The percentage of postformal thinkers was significant higher than formalistic thinker's in middle and late adulthood group (41-80 years). In late adolescence and early adulthood group, sex difference in the percentage of postformal thinkers relative to formalistic thinkers' was not significant, but the percentage of postformal thinkers relative to formalistic thinkers' in middle and late adulthood female was significant higher than male's. The possible reasons of the above findings are discussed in the paper. According to these findings, there were suggestions of future research on sex differences in the development of postformal thinking, including the measurement of postformal thinking research design and inquiring issues.

Keywords：postformal thinking, formalistic thinking, relativistic, dialectical thinking, sex differences

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