From Scientific American:
“There is such a thing as expertise when it comes to complex emotions or emotional skills, such as the one of cultivating benevolence,” says Antoine Lutz, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who led the study. “That raises the possibility that you can train someone to cultivate this positive emotion.”
From the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (p.30):
[n.b. the lift coincides with the introduction of GCSE’s to avoid the O-level/CSE divide. Similar evidence at the BBC]
Aside from standards debates, it does make you wonder a) whether the GCSE syllabuses are more female-friendly, b) whether boys need Lutzesque training in empathy and c) if the choice is one of a two-tier O-level/CSE or a two-tier boy/girl, then which one’s preferable?
[Update]
just found this Pinker vs Spelke conversation on where
The speakers discussed research on mind, brain, and behavior that may be relevant to gender disparities in the sciences, including the studies of gender bias, discrimination, and innate and acquired differences between the sexes.