University of Toronto research finds girls more likely to follow incorrect instructions while boys explore alternatives

Study Reveals Gender Differences in Problem-Solving: A groundbreaking study conducted by psychologists at the University of Toronto has shed light on a significant gender-based difference in problem-solving tendencies among children. The research suggests that girls are more likely than boys to persist with incorrect instructions given by teachers, while boys tend to seek alternative solutions. This tendency, researchers believe, could be linked to differences in people-pleasing behavior ingrained from an early age.

The study, led by Mia Radovanovic, a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science, was conducted through the Toronto Early Cognition Lab (TECL). It aimed to analyze how children between the ages of seven and ten responded to inaccurate guidance in various problem-solving tasks.

The findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, suggest that social conditioning plays a crucial role in shaping children's approach to learning and independent thinking, with long-term implications for education, career advancement, and workplace dynamics.

A Deep Dive Into the Study

The research involved multiple experiments designed to test how children responded to misleading or incorrect instructions from teachers. One particularly telling experiment had children play a video game obstacle course where an instructor guided them to jump from a specific platform—only for them to discover that the platform was missing.

Faced with this challenge, the children displayed distinct gender-based behaviors:

• Girls were more likely to persist in following the given instructions, even after repeated failures.
• Boys, on the other hand, were more inclined to experiment with alternative solutions, such as climbing down and exploring the environment for another path.

These behavioral differences were further examined through a questionnaire designed to assess levels of people-pleasing tendencies in the children. It measured factors such as:

1. Concern for others' opinions
2. Dependence on external validation
3. The degree to which they prioritized compliance over independent thinking

The results indicated that girls scored significantly higher in people-pleasing behaviors than boys, particularly in their desire to maintain positive relationships and conform to expectations. This aligns with existing psychological research on adult populations, where women often experience greater social pressure to be agreeable and compliant in both personal and professional settings.

The Link Between Socialization and Learning Outcomes

While the study does not suggest that boys are inherently better problem-solvers, it highlights how different socialization patterns shape learning behaviors.

“Listening to the instructor and persisting with the taught solution serves you well in school, which may explain why girls tend to outperform boys academically and why we see a higher percentage of women earning university degrees,” explains Radovanovic.

However, she notes that success in the workplace often requires the ability to champion one’s own ideas, a skill that boys seem to develop more naturally due to their willingness to question authority and explore alternative solutions.

“Women are less likely to be encouraged to develop independent problem-solving skills from a young age, and when they do display such traits later in life, they often face social penalties for it,” she adds.

This phenomenon is commonly observed in professional environments where women who assert themselves or challenge the status quo are more likely to be perceived as aggressive or unlikable, a reality that has been extensively documented in workplace psychology research.

Breaking the Cycle: Encouraging Independent Thinking in Girls

The study underscores the importance of fostering environments where girls feel empowered to think independently, question instructions, and explore solutions on their own terms.

Radovanovic and her research team emphasize that parents, educators, and mentors should consciously create opportunities for children—especially girls—to break free from rigid people-pleasing tendencies and develop confidence in their own reasoning skills.

Practical Steps to Encourage Critical Thinking in Children

• Normalize questioning authority: Encouraging children to respectfully challenge instructions and think critically about given information can help them become more independent thinkers.
• Provide opportunities for self-expression: Allowing children to make their own choices in non-crucial situations—such as choosing their own outfits—can help them build autonomy.
• Encourage risk-taking in problem-solving: Parents and teachers should create low-stakes environments where children feel safe experimenting with different solutions without fear of failure or reprimand.
• Acknowledge uncertainty: Adults should model open-mindedness by admitting when they don’t know the answer and inviting children to brainstorm solutions together.

Radovanovic points out that these early interventions are crucial in preparing children to navigate a world filled with misinformation, evolving technologies, and complex decision-making scenarios.

Implications for Gender Equality and the Workplace

The study’s insights have broader implications for gender equality, particularly in professional and academic settings. While girls tend to excel in structured environments like schools, the skills that are most valued in leadership roles—such as independent thinking, risk-taking, and innovation—are often more actively cultivated in boys.

“We frequently discuss how to empower women in the workplace, but strategies like ‘leaning in’ are only half the solution if we don’t address the root cause—early social conditioning,” Radovanovic notes, referencing former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg’s famous book Lean In, which encourages women to take initiative in their careers.

To close the gender gap in leadership and entrepreneurship, it is essential to nurture critical thinking and independent problem-solving skills in girls from a young age. By doing so, society can move toward a more balanced and equitable approach to education and professional success.

Rethinking How We Teach Children to Learn

The study by the University of Toronto serves as a wake-up call to educators, parents, and policymakers. If girls are to have equal opportunities in both academic and professional spaces, they must be encouraged to challenge ideas, take risks, and explore solutions outside of traditional frameworks.

As Radovanovic puts it:

“We, as teachers, parents, and mentors, must intervene early on and tell our kids: ‘I don't always know the right answer, and it would be cool to see what you think.’”

By shifting the way we approach learning and problem-solving, we can help all children—regardless of gender—develop the confidence and skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. Keep reading at Education Post News for more global updates.