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Ethan Selander

Mr. Gardner

Couture Octopi

28 October 2019

Optional Source

Costa, Paul T, et al., “Gender Differences in Personality Traits across Cultures: Robust and

Surprising Findings.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, U.S. National

Library of Medicine, Aug. 2001, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11519935.

In the study called Gender Differences in Personality Traits across Cultures: Robust and

Surprising Findings, Paul Costa and colleagues demonstrate that there are gender differences in

the Big Five personality traits cross culturally. The Big Five personality traits are: openness,

conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The 2001 study showed gender

differences in these personality traits increased in gender equal countries and that the magnitude

of the differences vary with the sociocultural landscape.

The main author of the study Paul Costa is a Professor of Psychology at Duke University. This

gives the study credibility and builds its ethos. Something that undermines its ethos is the fact

that it was published in 2001 making it sort outdated. However, many newer studies have

replicated the results of Costa’s study showing that its results are still relevant. The author uses

logos by collecting large amounts of data by using the NEO Personality Inventory which holds

collected data of men and womens’ measured personality traits. There are no apparent uses of

pathos in this study. Also, logical fallacies were nowhere to be seen.

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The best place to utilize this source will be right before I use my visual image and database

source. This is because I can prove that the overall results of this study were replicated at least

twice in more recent times which will help bolster the study’s findings overall. I will use this

source to make the claim that gender differences in the Five Factor model increase as a country

becomes more equal towards gender. This point will be crucial in helping mediate the validity of

the two sides of my question: whether or not gender personality differences are mostly biological

or socially constructed.

Multimedia Source

IDRlabs, “The Big Five Personality Traits.” YouTube, YouTube, 4 Sept. 2018,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zj8K5zKXhM.

This is a video clip from Youtube called The Big Five Personality Traits that explains all of the

O.C.E.A.N. personality traits also known as the “The Big Five”. The Big Five are: openness,

conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. This video was created by

IDRlabs which stands for Individual Difference Research Labs. They are a group that gives free

online tests including one that determines your score for the Big Five personality traits. They

made this video to go along with their online test and explain what the Big Five are and the

significance of them. The video was published in 2018.

In this short video, they talk about each personality trait one by one and then explain the type of

person who scores high or low in that particular trait. For example, if the score is high in

openness, the video explains that this type of person would be open to new ideas and to leaving

their comfort zone whereas if they score low they would be more dismissive of new ideas. These

personality traits and explanations are based off research long established by psychologists and
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that is where most of the credibility of the video comes from. There isn’t really any logical

fallacies because it doesn’t make an argument, it only explains the traits.

I chose to use this video for my essay because I like its explanation of the Big Five traits. It is

important that these traits are well understood and established at the beginning of this essay.

Otherwise, people will have no idea what I’m talking about when I explain the differences of

these particular traits between men and women and whether or not they are mostly a result of

biological or social forces.

Database Source

Mac Giolla, Erik, and Petri J Kajonius. “Sex Differences in Personality Are Larger in Gender

Equal Countries: Replicating and Extending a Surprising Finding.” International Journal

of Psychology : Journal International De Psychologie, U.S. National Library of

Medicine, 11 Sept. 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30206941.

We learn a lot about the study By Erik Giolla and Petri Kajonius just from its title: “Sex

Differences in Personality Are Larger in Gender Equal Countries: Replicating and Extending a

Surprising Finding”. The goal of this study conducted last year in 2018 was to validate past

research that showed the differences between men and women’s personalities became larger as

the country became more egalitarian as it pertains to the sexes.

The authors of the study are qualified for this research. Both come from the Department of

Psychology at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Also, the results of their study was

found in previous studies and there are no similar studies with contradictory findings. All of this

builds the credibility of the study and its findings. They use logos by using sound methodology
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to garner powerful data and statistics. The study seems to be void of any arguments based on

pathos. Also, there appears to be no logical fallacies unless one wants to argue that the

psychologists are making loose generalizations about the sexes even though what they are saying

is entirely supported by their own data.

This study is very important for my essay. In my essay, I ask the question about whether or not

personality differences between men and women are mostly biological or social products. This

study gives great headway in that debate by discussing and proving the inadequacies of social

role theory while also creating more support for the evolutionary/biological theory.

Visual Image Source

Schmitt, David P, et al., “Why Can't a Man Be More like a Woman? Sex Differences in Big Five

Personality Traits across 55 Cultures.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,

U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2008,

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18179326.

Using data garnered from the study “Why Can't a Man Be More like a Woman? Sex Differences

in Big Five Personality Traits across 55 Cultures.”, a line graph was created showing that as

societies became more egalitarian between the sexes, differences in the big five personality traits

between the sexes increased. More specifically, the Y axis on the graph shows the magnitude of

sex difference across four of the big five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness,

conscientiousness, and neuroticism. The X axis is a list of major world regions that differ in level

of egalitarianism toward the sexes. The study led by David Schmitt was published in 2008 and

had the purpose of replicating a previous study that showed very similar results. It helps answer
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the question of whether personality trait differences between men and women are mostly a

product of social or innate factors.

The authors who created this graph are all qualified for . They all have PhDs in psychology. The

main author, David Schmitt, is a professor at Brunel University in London. Two of the authors

are professors at the University of Tartu, and one is a professor at the University of Vienna. The

graph they create is based off hard data that they collected. The graph doesn’t have any

argument based on pathos nor does it contain any logical fallacies.

There are two main theories for the answer to my question: social role theory and the

evolutionary theory. This graph will be used to clarify which theory is most accurate. The best

place to put this graph in my essay will be right after I explain both theories because then I can

use the data from this graph to refer to when explaining my opinion and which theory is most

supported by its data.

Informal Article Source

Staff, Science X. “Personality Differences between the Sexes Are Largest in the Most Gender

Equal Countries.” Phys.org, Phys.org, 12 Oct. 2018, https://phys.org/news/2018-10-

personality-differences-sexes-largest-gender.html.

In the article Personality Differences between the Sexes Are Largest in the Most Gender Equal

Countries, it is explained that there are personality differences between men and women and that

these differences will increase as a society becomes more gender equal. It specifically used the
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O.C.E.A.N. personality differences for measurement of the differences. The article was provided

by the University of Gothenburg and it was written in 2018.

This article is a credible source because the entire article was provided by the University of

Gothenburg in Sweden. Additionally, it was based off a study conducted by Professional

psychologists. This sufficiently builds the article’s credibility. The article uses logos by citing

data from the study and quoting experts including those who conducted the study the article is

using. There appears to be no logical fallacies in this article. In addition, the article does not

employ any argument based in pathos.

The plan is for this source is to use it at the beginning of the essay when I’m setting up the

context and essence of my question: are the differences in the O.C.E.A.N. personality traits

mostly a result of social or biological factors. First I will use my multi media source to explain

the Big Five personality traits. Next, I will use this source to show that men and women have

different personality traits and that the fundamental differences are consistent cross culturally,

even though the magnitude of the differences vary.