As Barriers Disappear, Some Gender Gaps Widen
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/science/09tier.html9/9/2008
When men and women take personality tests, some of the old Mars-Venus
stereotypes keep reappearing. On average, women are more cooperative,
nurturing, cautious and emotionally responsive. Men tend to be more
competitive, assertive, reckless and emotionally flat. Clear
differences appear in early childhood and never disappear.
What's not clear is the origin of these differences. Evolutionary
psychologists contend that these are innate traits inherited from
ancient hunters and gatherers. Another school of psychologists asserts
that both sexes' personalities have been shaped by traditional social
roles, and that personality differences will shrink as women spend
less time nurturing children and more time in jobs outside the home.
