Gender+Differences


 * ===GENDER DIFFERENCES===


 * __Gender Differences in Personality__**

Studies have found that besides the obvious physical differences, differences between male and female do exist.

One study (Mednick & Thomas, 1993) found that males are more confident than females, especially in acidemic areas or in tasks stereotyped as "masculine," such as math and science.

Aggresion is of the areas with the most significant differences between genders.


 * __Gender Differences in Intelligence__**

Most studies show significant difference in the average IQ for men and women. Men's IQ is 2-5 % more than the average female. [1] However, on average men perform better on tests of spatial and mathematical ability, while women perform better on tests of verbal ability and memory[citation needed]. Also, men's IQ has greater variance, that is, there are more men than women in the very high and very low IQ groups, with women's scores more concentrated around the average.

Men tend to talk more than women in public situations, but women tend to talk more than men at home.

Females are more inclined to face each other and make eye contact when talking, while males are more likely to look away from each other.

Girls and women tend to talk at length about one topic, but boys and men tend to jump from topic to topic.

When listening, women make more noises such as “mm-hmm” and “uh-huh”, while men are more likely to listen silently. Women are inclined to express agreement and support, while men are more inclined to debate.

However, not all research supports these claims. One study by Erina MacGeorge found only a 2% difference in the conversational styles of men and women, and reported that in general both sexes communicated in similar ways [9]. Critics, including Suzette Haden Elgin, have suggested that Tannen's findings may apply more to women of certain specific cultural and economic groups than to women in general. There is no evidence to support the belief that women speak far more words than men.


 * __Research Problems__**

Studies of psychological gender differences are controversial and subject to error. Many small-scale studies report differences that are not repeated in larger studies. Self-report questionnaires are subject to bias, particularly if the subjects are told that the questionnaire is testing for gender roles. It is also possible that commentators may exaggerate or downplay differences for ideological reasons.

Gender Differences. Retrieved February 20, 2008, Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_Differences