Gender differences in empathizing-systemizing - the influence of gender stereotype and socially desirable responding

Abstract

The main aim of the present studies was to investigate the infl uence of social and cultural factors on gender diff erences in empathizing-systemizing. Study 1 was designed to control for the socially desirable responding in gender diff erences in empathizing-systemizing. In Study 2 we wanted to investigate whether the activation of gender stereotype would infl uence gender diff erences in the questionnaire and the ability test that measured empathizing-systemizing. Consistently across our two studies and the two measurement methods used (the questionnaire and the ability test), women scored higher in empathizing and the size of the eff ect was medium. Socially desirable responding had no eff ect on the size of gender diff erences in empathizing. However, the activation of the gender stereotype made respondents, especially women, present themselves as more empathetic persons. In addition, the stereotype activation produced a performance boost on the systemizing ability test in men, whereas no eff ect was observed in women.