Sex differences in personality are larger in gender equal countries: Replicating and extending a surprising finding

Abstract

Sex differences in personality have been shown to be larger in more gender equal countries. We advance this research by using an extensive personality measure, the IPIP-NEO-120, with large country samples (N > 1000), from 22 countries. Furthermore, to capture the multidimensionality of personality we measure sex differences with a multivariate effect size (Mahalanobis distance D). Results indicate that past research, using univariate measures of effect size, have underestimated the size of between-country sex differences in personality. Confirming past research, there was a strong correlation (r = .69) between a country's sex differences in personality and their Gender Equality Index. Additional analyses showed that women typically score higher than men on all five trait factors (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness), and that these relative differences are larger in more gender equal countries. We speculate that as gender equality increases both men and women gravitate towards their traditional gender roles.

Global sex differences in personality: Replication with an open online dataset

“…In the recent study by Kaiser (), MG‐CMSA on 30 Big Five facets yielded D = 2.16 for the U.S. sample, an effect almost identical to the one we found here (effect sizes ranged from 1.49 in Pakistan to 2.48 in Russia). Likewise, the uncorrected effect size in Mac Giolla and Kajonius () was D = 1.25 for the U.S. sample, compared to 1.18 in the present study (effect sizes ranged from 0.87 in Malaysia to 1.32 in Norway and Sweden).…”

“…Now that large sex differences have been found in two independent datasets based on the 16PF, it will be important to investigate the extent to which the size of the effect may depend on the choice of a personality model (e.g., 16PF vs. Big Five). So far, multivariate studies of sex differences have yielded fairly consistent results regardless of the underlying model (Kaiser, ; Mac Giolla & Kajonius, ). However, it will take a number of large‐scale replications before a confident statement can be made.…”

“…A key prediction of social role theory is that sex differences should shrink as societies adopt more gender egalitarian values and socialization patterns. In the domain of personality, however, cross‐cultural studies have generally found the opposite pattern—that is, sex differences are magnified in more gender egalitarian countries (Kaiser, ; Mac Giolla & Kajonius, ; Schmitt, ; Schmitt et al, ). From a biological perspective, a plausible explanation of this and similar finding (e.g., concerning values and occupational preferences) is that gender egalitarian cultures leave men and women freer to express their evolved predispositions (Schwartz & Rubel, ; Schmitt, ; Schmitt et al, ).…”

“…More recently, researchers have started to apply the concept of global sex differences to datasets based on the Big Five model. In a cross‐cultural study, Mac Giolla and Kajonius () computed D from observed scores on 30 facets of the Big Five, without error correction. The size of global sex differences in the United States was D = 1.25, similar to the uncorrected effect ( D = 1.49) in Del Giudice and colleagues ().…”

Depression and neuroticism decrease among women but not among men between 1976 and 2016 in Swedish septuagenarians

“…Neuroticism is a personality factor that is strongly related to depression, especially in late life . It is also more common in women compared with men . Potential time trends in neuroticism may thus influence the prevalence and incidence of depression .…”