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Related Experiment Videos

Gender differences in temperament: a meta-analysis.

Nicole M Else-Quest1, Janet Shibley Hyde, H Hill Goldsmith

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin--Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. nmelse@wisc.edu

Psychological Bulletin
|January 27, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Gender differences in children's temperament were analyzed. Girls showed higher effortful control, while boys exhibited greater surgency, aligning with behavioral patterns.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Genetics

Background:

  • Temperament is a foundational aspect of personality, influencing behavior and development from early childhood.
  • Understanding gender differences in temperament is crucial for explaining variations in behavioral patterns and developmental trajectories.
  • Previous research suggests potential gender-based variations in temperament, but comprehensive meta-analyses are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively assess gender differences in mean levels and variability across 35 dimensions and 3 factors of temperament in children.
  • To investigate the magnitude and direction of these differences in early childhood (3 months to 13 years).
  • To correlate observed temperament differences with known gender disparities in behavioral outcomes.

Main Methods:

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  • A meta-analysis was employed to synthesize findings from existing studies on child temperament.
  • Data from multiple studies were aggregated to estimate effect sizes for gender differences.
  • Temperament dimensions were grouped into three higher-order factors: effortful control, surgency, and negative affectivity.

Main Results:

  • Significant gender differences were observed, with girls exhibiting higher effortful control (e.g., inhibitory control, perceptual sensitivity).
  • Boys showed higher levels of surgency, including activity and high-intensity pleasure, consistent with their higher rates of externalizing disorders and rough-and-tumble play.
  • Negative affectivity demonstrated negligible gender differences.

Conclusions:

  • Temperament shows distinct gender patterns in childhood, with effortful control favoring girls and surgency favoring boys.
  • These temperament differences may contribute to understanding gender-related behavioral and developmental differences, such as externalizing disorders.
  • The findings underscore the importance of considering gender in the context of child temperament research and intervention.