Blackwell Reference Online

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Few topics interest lay people and scholars more than how men and women might differ from each other. Sex differences refer to behavioral variations between men and women based on biological differences; gender differences refer to behavioral variations between people due to cultural, sociological, and/or psychological differences. This entry focuses on the manner in which sex differences affect interpersonal communication behavior (→  Gender and Discourse ). Opinions abound regarding sex differences. Some scholars assume that men and women differ until proven otherwise, whereas others assume that men and women are similar until proven otherwise. And reputable scholars represent each side of the coin. One way of deciding which side of the debate is more accurate involves the use of statistical tests to determine whether or not differences between men and women for a given sample might be generalized to a larger population. In general, the likelihood of finding statistical differences is relatively low. However, scholars who are prone to think that there are substantial differences between men and women often use nonstatistical, anecdotal evidence and qualitative analyses (e.g., Tannen 1990 ). Scholars who are prone to view women and men as being similar often point to large sample statistical summaries that frequently report small and inconsistent sex differences (e.g., ... log in or subscribe to read full text