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The Influences of Sex and Gender-Role Identity on Moral Cognition and Prosocial Personality Traits

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Abstract

The relations of sex and gender-role identity to moral thought and prosocial personality traits were examined. Two hundred and nine men and women rated the importance of real-life, care-related, justice-related, and mixed (both care- and justice-related) moral dilemmas. Responses on the real-life and mixed dilemmas also were scored for care and justice orientations. Women and feminine persons viewed moral conflicts as more important than did men and masculine people. On the mixed dilemmas, women scored higher than men on care reasoning, whereas men scored higher than women on justice reasoning. Regardless of sex or gender role, relational real-life dilemmas evoked higher importance and care reasoning scores than did nonrelational ones. Women and persons high in femininity showed more empathic concern for other people. Masculine persons scored lower on personal distress, whereas androgynous persons reported more helpful behaviors than did all others.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway

    Eva E. A. Skoe

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1094, Blindern, N-0317, Oslo, Norway

    Eva E. A. Skoe

  3. Arizona State University, Arizona

    Amanda Cumberland & Nancy Eisenberg

  4. University of Winnipeg, Ontario, Canada

    Kristine Hansen

  5. University of Tromsø, Norway

    Judi Perry

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  1. Eva E. A. Skoe
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Skoe, E.E.A., Cumberland, A., Eisenberg, N. et al. The Influences of Sex and Gender-Role Identity on Moral Cognition and Prosocial Personality Traits. Sex Roles 46, 295–309 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020224512888

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