Title: AQA Psychology A Unit 3: Discuss cultural influences on gender role. (8 marks + 16 marks)
Headings: AQA Psychology A Unit 3
AQA Psychology A Unit 3
Discuss cultural influences on gender role. (8 marks + 16 marks)

Content: Williams & Best studied gender stereotypes in 30  countries in a study involving 2,800 students as participants. They were  given 300 adjectives and asked to decide whether each one was more  associated with men or women. In all countries, men were seen as more  dominant, aggressive and autonomous, while women were more nurturing,  deferent and interested in affiliation. This also suggests that gender  roles are biological rather than cultural. Conformity is also related to culture,  as there is a general consensus across cultures that women are more  conformist than men. However, this difference varies across cultures: Berry et al. reported that differences in conformity between men and  women are highest in tight, sedentary societies. This shows a cultural  influence on gender role. There is an  alternative explanation for this finding that division of labour is  largely universal: