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The most accepted explanation for genderdifferences is the sociocultural model that holdsthem to be results of socialization and/or occupancy ofsexdifferentiated roles. There hasbeen extensive social change in thepast three decades, reducing sextyped role assignments and attitudes. However, examination of some30 researches shows that the social change hasnot been followed bychange in sextyping. Thispresent studyof trends in stereotypic and selfresponses between 1974 and 1997 confirms the stabilityin sex typing, over seven surveys and 4,000 respondents. In addition, there is evidence of increase in the perceived femininity of females. These results are contrary to the predictions from thesociocultural model. Theyare, however, consistentwith thealternate evolutionary modelpostulating constantgendered differences based ongenetic patterns evolved from adaptations todiffering reproductive challenges ofearly males andfemales. This study is concerned with the implications of change and stability in sex typing, between 1974 and 1997, for the general sociocultural model, the most generally accepted paradigm for the explanation of sex-related differences. The central focus is the cluster of traits that differentiate women and men and thus constitute the characteristics of gender. Study of these traits has dealt with three areas: perceptionI- This article has benefited from comments and suggestions received from Cheryl Holt, McKee McClendon, J. Richard Udry and John Williams on earlier drafts, and from a very helpful anonymous reviewer of a previous version of this article. Thanks are due to the Sociology Department which provided for printing the questionnaires in the early years and later shared those costs with the senior author. Finally, we are grateful to the large body of instructors who assisted us in the administration of the surveys over the years. Al Herbert of the computer center has provided very valuable help and advice throughout the project. Direct correspondence to
Lueptow et al. (Sat,) studied this question.