Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

Empathizing and systemizing: What are they, and what do they contribute to our understanding of psychological sex differences?

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Daniel Nettle

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.


Abstract

Empathizing and systemizing have recently been put forward as two important individual-difference dimensions, whose different mean levels in men and women are argued to account for many psychological sex differences. This paper presents a series of studies designed to investigate the reliability and validity of the empathizing and systemizing quotients (EQ & SQ), to relate them to existing personality constructs, and to replicate reported sex and sexual orientation-related differences. Correlations with interests and social behaviour suggest the two measures are valid. However, empathizing appears essentially equivalent to agreeableness in the five-factor model of personality. Systemizing cannot be reduced to established personality dimensions, though it is moderately correlated with conscientiousness and openness. Men have higher levels of systemizing than women, and non-heterosexual women higher than heterosexuals. However, no differences were found between heterosexual and non-heterosexual men. Although systemizing and empathizing account for a number of observed sex differences, there are others they do not explain. © 2007 The British Psychological Society.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Nettle D

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: British Journal of Psychology

Year: 2007

Volume: 98

Issue: 2

Pages: 237-255

ISSN (print): 0007-1269

ISSN (electronic):

Publisher: The British Psychological Society

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1348/000712606X117612

DOI: 10.1348/000712606X117612

PubMed id: 17456271


Altmetrics

Altmetrics provided by Altmetric


Share