Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Professor finds little psychological difference between genders

A University of Wisconsin study on gender found little-to-no difference in males and females psychologically, and stereotypes commonly perpetuated by the media are invalid.

UW psychology professor Janet Hyde, who conducted the study, spent more than twenty years researching what she calls "psychological gender differences," and has compiled studies, in addition to her own, that she said show no significant differences between men and women.

"I noticed in the popular press there's such an emphasis on gender differences and that men and women are entirely different," Hyde said. "Yet, research didn't support that; it really showed that women and men are quite similar, so I decided to survey all the different research on the topic."

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Hyde said all the data compiled showed many common misconceptions regarding gender stereotypes were, in reality, unfounded and misplaced.

"The striking finding is that for most psychological traits, males and females are really very similar," she noted. "It's so much in contrast to all this popular press stuff that has no science behind it."

Hyde said she looked at a variety of categories in which it is generally assumed men and women are different, such as math performance and leadership skills. Studies have shown men and women actually exhibit similar performances in those categories, according to Hyde.

"In math performance, we have a stereotype that men are better in math than women, when in fact gender differences in math are very tiny," she said.

Hyde herself said she believes her study has an impact on a lot of different fields and areas, especially regarding communication between the sexes.

"[One of the aspects] this study affects is within marriage or relationships," Hyde said. "A lot of people get hung up on communication and that people can't communicate, which in fact is not at all true."

UW sophomore Caitlin Foley disagrees with the findings however, and said she finds it hard to believe there are no significant differences between males and females, especially regarding relationships.

"It seems to me that it can't be completely true that there's no difference between genders, especially when it comes to how they think about how to handle relationship issues," Foley said. "To me, it seems that often males and females react a lot differently when they're confronted with problems in their relationships."

Hyde said she also feels her study has implications on the field of education, primarily regarding her findings on math performance. Concerned girls may have been discouraged in school, Hyde said she hopes her findings enable them to perform and be held to higher standards.

"[Society doesn't] believe that girls can do math, and therefore it's probable that plenty of talented girls have been steered away from math just because they have been told [all along] that they can't do it," Hyde said.

Hyde said she believes society will benefit significantly from her findings, and is proud it will be important in many aspects of life.

"The study really has enormous implications in a lot of different realms," Hyde said.

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