Sex Differences in Preferences for Shapes

A Cross-cultural Replication

Bibliographic Data

ID5266784
AuthorsG Jahoda (Gold Coast Health, corresponding author)
Year1956
Volume47
Issue2
Pages126-132
Publication date1956-05-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-1269 • E-ISSN: 2044-8295
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.2044-8295.1956.tb00571.x
PMID13315986
OpenAlexW2071150428
LanguageEN
Citations received7

A shape-preference test was designed by McElroy on basis of 'a possible corollary of psychoanalytic theory' and administered to Scottish schoolchildren. In accordance with predictions there was a significant tendency, increasing with age, for boys to prefer round shapes (disguised female symbols) and for girls to prefer rectilinear ones (disguised male symbols). McElroy suggested alternative hypotheses that might, in his view, account equally well for effects obtained.In present study McElroy's main alternative hypotheses were examined and it appeared that, as formulated by him, they could not be used to predict results in Accra. It was shown, however, that psychoanalytic hypothesis did permit a definite prediction: in a cultural situation where there is less repression, one would expect sex differences to be smaller. test was given in a modified form, which made more detailed analysis possible. A greatly reduced, but still significant, sex difference was in fact obtained. Age changes, contrasting with those found in Scotland, were also shown to be consistent with psychoanalytic hypothesis. It was further suggested that some of specific Freudian interpretations of symbols may have to be reconsidered

Corollary · Developmental psychology · Freudian slip · Preference · Psychoanalysis · Psychoanalytic theory · Replication (statistics) · Statistics · Test (biology) · Categorization, perception, and language · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Psychology

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