Although the gaps between genders have declined dramatically …………

The notion that boys best their sisters in math and
that girls excel at language skills is a powerful
stereotype and one that has seemingly been
confirmed by results on- standardized tests. But like
so much of conventional wisdom, those notions
may soon have to be abandoned. According to a
new study by a psychology researcher some
differences between genders_ remain, but the gaps
have "declined dramatically over the years." The
one glaring exception to this picture of equality can
be found in advanced math, where boys continue to
perform a lot better. These "findings have set off
another round in the debate between nature and
nurture, with some scientists suggesting that part of
the explanation lies not in societal prejudice but in
genetics.