The purpose of this article is to examine the evidence for sex differences in cognitive functioning and to review and evaluate evidence for hormonal, genetic, neuro-anatomical, and cultural determinants of such differences. Inadequacies in the evidence for sex differences, such as underreporting of negative findings, failure to measure effect size, small sample sizes, etc., are noted. It is likely that sex hormones influence the organization and functioning of the brain. Sex differences in brain organization and functioning are discussed. In summary, the existence of sex differences in cognitive functioning is clear, but further research is needed to elucidate the determinants of these differences.

It was hypothesized that the greater influence of external cues on obese than on normal individuals' eating behavior is a manifestation of a generalized sensitivity to external cues. Responsivity of nut consumption to the external cue of shells on the nuts and responsivity of judgment of verticality to the external cue of a tilted visual field were assessed for male and female, obese and normal-weight subjects. As predicted, both obese subjects' nut consumption and their judgments of verticality were more influenced by external cues than were those of normals. Females' judgments of verticality were more influenced by external cues than males' were, but the sex differences in eating behavior were not statistically significant. A significant correlation between the field dependence of subjects' eating behavior and their judgments of verticality suggests that a single cause may generate sensitivity to external cues in these two diverse situations.

A coding manual developed from a communications skills training program offers a rating system for face-to-face talk processes derived from the response mode framework proposed by Goodman and Dooley (1976). It uses 22 mutually exclusive descriptive dimensions. The method expects careful response-by-response rating of audiotaped or written helper respons es. The units of analysis are verbal sentences or independent clauses. The manual is intended for use by relatively unsophisticated raters. Major sections of the manual correspond with six major response modalities. Within each major mode, a subcategory is defined and ex amples are offered. Examples are taken from helper talk.

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