TY - JOUR
T1 - The His and Hers of Prosocial Behavior
T2 - An Examination of the Social Psychology of Gender
AU - Eagly, Alice H
PY - 2009/11/1
Y1 - 2009/11/1
N2 - Prosocial behavior consists of behaviors regarded as beneficial to others, including helping, sharing, comforting, guiding, rescuing, and defending others. Although women and men are similar in engaging in extensive prosocial behavior, they are different in their emphasis on particular classes of these behaviors. The specialty of women is prosocial behaviors that are more communal and relational, and that of men is behaviors that are more agentic and collectively oriented as well as strength intensive. These sex differences, which appear in research in various settings, match widely shared gender role beliefs. The origins of these beliefs lie in the division of labor, which reflects a biosocial interaction between male and female physical attributes and the social structure. The effects of gender roles on behavior are mediated by hormonal processes, social expectations, and individual dispositions.
AB - Prosocial behavior consists of behaviors regarded as beneficial to others, including helping, sharing, comforting, guiding, rescuing, and defending others. Although women and men are similar in engaging in extensive prosocial behavior, they are different in their emphasis on particular classes of these behaviors. The specialty of women is prosocial behaviors that are more communal and relational, and that of men is behaviors that are more agentic and collectively oriented as well as strength intensive. These sex differences, which appear in research in various settings, match widely shared gender role beliefs. The origins of these beliefs lie in the division of labor, which reflects a biosocial interaction between male and female physical attributes and the social structure. The effects of gender roles on behavior are mediated by hormonal processes, social expectations, and individual dispositions.
KW - altruism
KW - gender
KW - helping
KW - prosocial behavior
KW - sex differences
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U2 - 10.1037/0003-066X.64.8.644
DO - 10.1037/0003-066X.64.8.644
M3 - Article
C2 - 19899859
AN - SCOPUS:73449100501
VL - 64
SP - 644
EP - 658
JO - American Psychologist
JF - American Psychologist
SN - 0003-066X
IS - 8
ER -