The Nature–Nurture Debates

25 Years of Challenges in Understanding the Psychology of Gender

Bibliographic Data

ID19610046
AuthorsAlice H Eagly (0000-0003-4938-9101, Northwestern University), Wendy Wood (0000-0002-6117-558X, University of Southern California)
Year2013
Volume8
Issue3
Pages340-357
Publication date2013-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePerspectives on Psychological Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1745-6916 • E-ISSN: 1745-6924
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1745691613484767
PMID26172976
OpenAlexW2134245232
LanguageEN
Citations received85
References cited140

Nature-nurture debates continue to be highly contentious in the psychology of gender despite the common recognition that both types of causal explanations are important. In this article, we provide a historical analysis of the vicissitudes of nature and nurture explanations of sex differences and similarities during the quarter century since the founding of the Association for Psychological Science. We consider how the increasing use of meta-analysis helped to clarify sex difference findings if not the causal explanations for these effects. To illustrate these developments, this article describes socialization and preferences for mates as two important areas of gender research. We also highlight developing research trends that address the interactive processes by which nature and nurture work together in producing sex differences and similarities. Such theorizing holds the promise of better science as well as a more coherent account of the psychology of women and men that should prove to be more influential with the broader public

Developmental psychology · Epistemology · Nature versus nurture · Psychological science · Socialization · Sociology · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub