Gender differences in personality traits across cultures: Robust and surprising findings.

Abstract

Secondary analyses of Revised NEO Personality Inventory data from 26 cultures (N = 23,031) suggest that gender differences are small relative to individual variation within genders; differences are replicated across cultures for both college-age and adult samples, and differences are broadly consistent with gender stereotypes: Women reported themselves to be higher in Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Warmth, and Openness to Feelings, whereas men were higher in Assertiveness and Openness to Ideas. Contrary to predictions from evolutionary theory, the magnitude of gender differences varied across cultures. Contrary to predictions from the social role model, gender differences were most pronounced in European and American cultures in which traditional sex roles are minimized. Possible explanations for this surprising finding are discussed, including the attribution of masculine and feminine behaviors to roles rather than traits in traditional cultures.

Gender differences in Five Factor Model personality traits in an elderly cohort

“…Gender Differences; Personality Traits; Older Adults; Five Factor Model Women score higher on the Five Factor Model (FFM) traits of Neuroticism and Agreeableness (Costa, Terracciano & McCrae 2001). The former reflects distress proneness and propensities toward the experience of a variety of negative affects, while the latter reflects amicability, altruism, trust, tendermindedness, and compliance.…”

“…Feingold, 1994). However, Costa et al (2001) investigated gender differences across specific aspects of these broad FFM domains, finding that men scored higher in some facets of Openness, such as Openness to Ideas, while women scored higher in others such as Openness to Aesthetics and Feelings. Men scored higher in some facets of Extraversion such as Excitement Seeking, while women scored higher in other Extraversion facets such as Warmth.…”

“…His data suggested men and women fall at opposite ends of this dimension. Costa et al (2001) stipulated that a purely evolutionary explanation entails two corollaries: First, the traits on which men or women differ are consistent across cultures; second, gender differences in these traits are of the same general magnitude. Costa et al's (2001) findings supported the former.…”

“…However, gender differences were larger, rather than smaller, in industrialized countries where more progressive socioculture gender role norms would presumably lead to smaller differences. Thus, Costa and colleagues concluded that gender differences on Neuroticism and Agreeableness stemmed from stable evolutionary and biological bases, but Social Role Theory (Eagley, 1987), which articulates socialization processes leading to different roles and behaviors for men and women, also held potential usefulness for understanding gender differences in Neuroticism and Agreeableness (Costa et al, 2001;.…”

Different attachment styles correlate with mood disorders in adults with epilepsy or migraine

“…In fact, it is a common stereotype of Western culture that men are more emotionally distant and dismissing than women [16] and empirical studies have tended to substantiate this portrayal of men only in the context of romantic relationships but not for attachment in general. In fact, the majority of authors seem to agree that men and women display similar attachment styles and similarities are even more evident in cultures with high mortality, few resources and high fertility rates [17]. Regarding different educational levels, it seems established that educational level and socioeconomic status are not determinants for attachment style [18].…”