Sex-Trait Stereotypes in India and Pakistan

Summary

Sex-trait stereotypes are defined as the psychological characteristics differentially ascribed to women and to men. These stereotypes were studied among five- and eight-year-old children and among university students in India and Pakistan. Results were generally congruent with the findings from similar studies in Western countries; for example, in both countries, traits associated with men were stronger and more active than those associated with women. Variations between India and Pakistan were noted and discussed in terms of differences in cultural traditions and in the social roles assumed by women and men in the two countries. It was concluded that there is a high degree of pancultural generality in sex-trait stereotypes among the countries studied.