(Super-)cultural clustering explains gender differences too. (13th September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Boothroyd, Lynda G.; Cross, Catharine P.
• Is Part Of: Behavioral and brain sciences. Volume 45(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-09-13
• Subjects: Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; Brain -- Periodicals; 616.89142
• DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X21001539
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-525X

Abstract

Abstract: The target paper shows how cultural adaptations to ecological problems can underpin "paradoxical" patterns of phenotypic variation. We argue: (1) Gendered social learning is a cultural adaptation to an ecological problem. (2) In evolutionarily novel environments, this adaptation generates arbitrary-gendered outcomes, leading to the paradoxical case of larger sex differences in more gender equal societies.