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The Distance Between Mars and Venus: Measuring Global Sex Differences in Personality

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  • Marco Del Giudice
  • Tom Booth
  • Paul Irwing

Abstract

Background: Sex differences in personality are believed to be comparatively small. However, research in this area has suffered from significant methodological limitations. We advance a set of guidelines for overcoming those limitations: (a) measure personality with a higher resolution than that afforded by the Big Five; (b) estimate sex differences on latent factors; and (c) assess global sex differences with multivariate effect sizes. We then apply these guidelines to a large, representative adult sample, and obtain what is presently the best estimate of global sex differences in personality. Methodology/Principal Findings: Personality measures were obtained from a large US sample (N = 10,261) with the 16PF Questionnaire. Multigroup latent variable modeling was used to estimate sex differences on individual personality dimensions, which were then aggregated to yield a multivariate effect size (Mahalanobis D). We found a global effect size D = 2.71, corresponding to an overlap of only 10% between the male and female distributions. Even excluding the factor showing the largest univariate ES, the global effect size was D = 1.71 (24% overlap). These are extremely large differences by psychological standards. Significance: The idea that there are only minor differences between the personality profiles of males and females should be rejected as based on inadequate methodology.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Del Giudice & Tom Booth & Paul Irwing, 2012. "The Distance Between Mars and Venus: Measuring Global Sex Differences in Personality," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0029265
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029265
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    Cited by:

    1. Kuhn, Andreas & Wolter, Stefan C., 2022. "Things versus People: Gender Differences in Vocational Interests and in Occupational Preferences," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 210-234.
    2. Thomas Dudek & Anne Ardila Brenøe & Jan Feld & Julia M. Rohrer, 2022. "No evidence that siblings’ gender affects personality across nine countries," ECON - Working Papers 408, Department of Economics - University of Zurich.
    3. Stern, Charlotta & Madison, Guy, 2022. "Sex differences and occupational choice Theorizing for policy informed by behavioral science✰," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 694-702.
    4. Stoet, Gijsbert & Geary, David C., 2020. "Sex-specific academic ability and attitude patterns in students across developed countries," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    5. Reynolds, Matthew R. & Hajovsky, Daniel B. & Caemmerer, Jacqueline M., 2022. "The sexes do not differ in general intelligence, but they do in some specifics," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    6. KatarzynaTobór-Osadnik, Ph.D & MałgorzataWyganowska, Ph.D & PrzemysławKabalski, Ph.D, 2013. "International Financial Reporting Standards vs. homo sovieticus personality the case of Poland," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 3(6), pages 17-35, June.
    7. Wolfram, Tobias, 2023. "(Not just) Intelligence stratifies the occupational hierarchy: Ranking 360 professions by IQ and non-cognitive traits," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    8. Dominika Doktorová & Veronika Kalivodová & Jana Hubinská, 2019. "Mutual Connections in Between Empathy and Personality Traits of Helping Professions," Postmodern Openings, Editura Lumen, Department of Economics, vol. 10(4), pages 29-43, December.

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