Conclusion

Psychologists have a long history of exploring sex/gender differences, both to support and to disconfirm beliefs about innate, biological differences. The differences that have been identified seem to be the result of complex interactions between sociocultural variables and biology (Eagly, 1995; Hyde, 2005). Although the perception that women and men are “from different planets” is popular, women and men are actually more similar than different. While small differences do exist, they’re often magnified in popular culture, and over-stating difference has served as a way to justify sexism. Therefore, education about the reality of relatively small sex/gender differences is key for reducing sex/gender prejudice. So the next time you hear a sexist joke or comment that reflects gender essentialism, you now know that spaceships truly aren’t necessary—women and men are actually from the same planet!

Finally, it’s worth reflecting on the fact that much research has been devoted to discussing and debating similarities and differences between women and men. However, feminist psychologists see this entire conversation as flawed. Asking “Are there differences between women and men?” keeps the focus on whether there are differences instead of explaining and contextualizing them (Shields, 2013). Furthermore, the question assumes one clear, singular identity of “woman” and “man.” Instead, every woman (and man) is uniquely different as a result of a complex array of intersecting identities (McCormick et al., 2016; Shields, 2013). Many feminist psychologists would argue that instead of focusing on difference, it would be more useful to explore how psychological research can improve the lives of women—and, ultimately, of all people (Kitzinger, 1994; Rutherford & Granek, 2010).