Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

348 Chapter 
11 
Sexuality and Gender
Gender Diff erences: 
More Similar than Dissimilar 
Not surprisingly, gender stereotyping, combined with other factors, results in actual 
behavior differences between men and women. Before we consider the nature of 
gender differences, however, it is important to keep in mind men and women are 
more similar to one another in most respects than they are different. Furthermore, 
the differences that have been found refl ect average male and female differences; this 
fi nding tells us little or nothing about any individual male or female. 
For example, even if we fi nd that males are generally more talkative than females—
as research shows they are despite the stereotype that women talk more—an individual 
man can be less talkative than most women. Similarly, an individual woman may be 
more talkative than most men. When we consider any single person, our focus should 
be on the individual rather than on his or her gender group. It is important to take this 
into account as we examine the fi ndings on gender differences (Mehl et al., 2007).
 PERSONALITY FACTORS 
One of the most pronounced differences between men and women lies in their degree 
of aggressive behavior. By the time they are 2 years old, boys tend to display more 
aggression than girls do, and this higher level of aggression persists throughout the 
life span. Furthermore, compared with men, women experience greater anxiety and 
guilt about their aggressiveness and are more concerned about its effects on their 
victims (Feingold, 1994; Munroe et al., 2000; Hyde, Mezulis, & Abramson, 2008). 
Men generally have higher self-esteem than women do, although the difference 
is not large. Furthermore, women’s self-esteem is infl uenced primarily by their per-
ception of their sense of interdependence and connection with others. In contrast, 
men’s self-esteem stems more from their assessment of their unique characteristics 
and abilities, traits that help them distinguish themselves from other people (Kling, 
Ryff, & Love, 2003; Lawrence, Ashford, & Dent, 2006; Gentile et al., 2009). 
Men and women differ in how positively they view their own abilities and 
how they estimate the probability of their future success. In general, women eval-
uate themselves more harshly than men. For example, a survey of fi rst-year college 
students compared men’s and women’s views of whether they were above or below 
average. As you can see in Figure 5, more men than women considered themselves 
above average in overall academic and mathematical ability, competitiveness, and 
Boys from age 2 tend to be more aggressive than girls, a pattern that 
continues throughout the life span.
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