Theory Similarities

Theories that men and women differ innately are older than Venus and Mars. The Essential Difference and Gradient Correlation theories are alike in finding a scientific basis for such gender differences. The theories' gender-related expectations are strikingly similar:

Gender-Correlated Traits
(from The Essential Difference)

FEMALE	MALE
empathizing socially-relating less aggressive/violent	systemizing object-relating more aggressive/violent

Gradient-Correlated Traits
(from Gradient Correlation)

"FEMALE"  (fast reproducers)	"MALE"   (slow reproducers*)
social-world savvy gregarious cooperative	object- /natural-world savvy loner competitive/aggressive/violent

*Males typically don't produce young at all.

(These tables list only some of the theories' expectations.)

Both theories agree that autism is an extreme variant of male traits. The fact that the two theories were developed independently, using different approaches, makes the similarity of their conclusions notable.

See how the two theories are different.

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Copyright 2001-2003 by Gregory B. Yates.   All Rights Reserved.