A Cross-Cultural Examination of Psychological Differentiation in Males and Females

Abstract

A review of cross‐cultural studies of sex differences in field dependence‐independence reveals that ecological, social‐conformity, and possibly biological pressures account for such differences in performance as are found between the sexes. The ecological model (pertaining particularly to non‐westernized, subsistence‐economy groups) is seen as the most parsimonious of the three models put forth, as it includes the other two models within it by implication. Mechanisms by which each of these factors may operate and suggestions for further research in each of these areas are advanced.