Sex Differences in Anger Proneness

Synonyms

Aggression; Hostility; Trait anger

Definition

Some elements of anger proneness demonstrate sex differences.

Introduction

Psychological sex differences have been documented for numerous traits in many cultures. The current debate in the field addresses the magnitude, uniformity, and basis of these differences. Traditionally, psychological sex differences have been attributed to social roles. Evolutionary psychology, however, views sex differences as rooted in genetic variations that have developed through natural selection. According to evolutionary theory, males and females exhibit different behaviors since each had to deal with different challenges in the prehistoric past. For example, physical aggression is more prevalent in males than in females. Archer (2009) suggested that this is a result of an evolutionary cost-benefit analysis. For males, aggression can confer benefits of increased reproduction, which may outweigh the costs of danger and injury. For females, however,...