Weird Personality Science

PLOS One reports large sample multivariate research looking at personality differences between men and women, a topic about which it is politically incorrect to comment. Substantial differences are found.

In univariate terms, the largest differences between the sexes were found in Sensitivity, Warmth, and Apprehension (higher in females), and Emotional stability, Dominance, Rule-consciousness, and Vigilance (higher in males). These effects subsume the classic sex differences in instrumentality/expressiveness or dominance/nurturance.

The results were striking: the effect size for global sex differences in personality was D = 2.71, an extremely large effect by any psychological standard, corresponding to a 10% overlap between the male and female distributions (assuming normality). Even removing the variable with the largest univariate effect size (Sensitivity), the multivariate effect was D = 1.71 (24% overlap assuming normality). These effect sizes firmly place personality in the same category of other psychological constructs showing large, robust sex differences, such as aggression and vocational interests.

Nothing here anyone should be surprised by, except perhaps the willingness of 3 researchers to subject themselves to feminist abuse. Hat tip to Instapundit for the link.