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: Mead found that in all  three cultures she studies in Papua New Guinea, men were more aggressive  than women. However, women were still more aggressive in some cultures  than in others. This suggests that there is a degree of cultural  relativism in gender roles: aggression in men is innate and universal but  the degree to which aggression is expressed is relative to each culture. Sex stereotypes that each culture has affect  gender roles. 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.