Mars Attack

Sex differences in personality are not only greater in higher developed and more gender-egalitarian countries but also within the higher developed regions of individual countries. Women consistently score higher than men on Neuroticism and Agreeableness. Gender differences in Extraversion, Openness, and Conscientiousness have also been reported, but less consistently. Gender differences in personality are often studied at the country level, suggesting that these differences tend to be larger in countries with higher levels of human development and gender equality. This phenomenon is known as the gender equality paradox, where gender differences in personality traits, values, interests, cognitive abilities, and even in the care economy are found in countries with higher levels of human development and gender equality. This study asks whether a similar pattern emerges within countries, rather than only between them. Using large survey datasets from Germany, Russia, and the United States, we examined whether gender differences in five broad personality traits. We found that regional variation in the size of the gender gap was most consistent for three personality traits—Neuroticism, Openness, and Conscientiousness. In several datasets, this pattern was consistent with the direction of the gender equality paradox observed across countries: regions with higher levels of educational attainment, health, and individualism tended to show larger gender differences in these three personality traits. These findings suggest that societal and contextual factors may contribute to gender differences in personality not only across countries but also across regions within countries. I