ABSTRACT
The questions of sex differences have been a consuming interest of psychologists and other social scientists for many years. Virtually every journal in every area of specialization, including the popular press and stories in nonprint media, contains reports of research on differences between women and men. More than 20 years ago, one observer noted that "women have become the latest academic fad" (Westkott, 1979, p. 427). More than 10 years ago, Jacklin (1989) described the study of sex differences as a "national preoccupation." Interest in the topic continues to mushroom. Spence (1993) estimated that 35,000 to 40,000 articles on gender were published in social and behavioral sciences journals between 1967 and 1993. The study of sex differences is surely a growth industry that has been fueled by recent advances in brain imaging and a new understanding of the reciprocal relationship between biology and environment. But the topic of sex differences isn't just "hot" in the sense of fashionable; it is, in fact, inflammatory. The answers we provide to questions like "Which is the smarter sex?" or "Do girls have less mathematical ability than boys?" have implications for present and future societies. The questions are important, and no one is taking the answers lightly.
