RANKING AND LINKING AS A FUNCTION OF SEX AND GENDER-ROLE ATTITUDES

A great deal of empirical research has shown that many of the behavioral and attitudinal differences found between males and females can be conceptualized as falling within the domains of “ranking” and “linking” orientations. This paper explores the three major paradigms that can be and have been used to explain the etiology of these male‐female differences: (a) cultural determinism, (b) biological determinism, and (c) biocultural interactionism. It argues that, although there is no definitive evidence in support of any of these three major explanatory paradigms, the cultural and biological deterministic paradigms are difficult to reconcile with a good deal of empirical evidence. Hence, understanding male‐female differences as a complex interaction between biological and cultural factors may be a more fruitful approach. 1991 The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues