Preliminary Analysis
We start our analysis with descriptive analyses and some tentative tests of Hypothesis 1, which predicted that gender equality would be positively correlated with gender differences in value priorities. First, we replicated the cross-sectional association between gender equality and gender differences in personality by correlating GEI with the values. For the individual values, the correlation coefficients (Pearson’s r) are .30 for Achievement (p = .096), .62 for Benevolence (p < .001), .47 for Power (p = .007), .47 for Universalism (p = .007), and .15 for Stimulation (p = .480). To obtain a broader measure of personality differences, we also calculated an index that captures the average gender difference across all five values. The correlation between this index and GEI was .55 (p < .001). Together these findings mimic previous cross-sectional studies. For example, Falk and Hermle (2018) report a correlation of .56 between gender equality and a summary index of gender differences in preferences. Our tentative analysis renders initial partial support for Hypothesis 1.
Turning to Theory dos, and that hypothesized you to intercourse variations in every four value concerns would gather over the years all over countries, Fig. 1 suggests the typical get across-country difference between values ranging from someone anywhere between in order mousemingle to to own the fresh 17 readily available regions. I mediocre the differences going back a couple of series and you can subtract the common on first couple of series off ESS to reduce year-to-seasons activity. Bad scores suggest a convergence within the opinions between folks and you will positive thinking imply a good divergence. Brand new trend is fairly consistent round the places regarding the desire with the a lot more convergence into all the four opinions. Switzerland try deviating in the pattern because most of the values hint at a little inclination with the divergence. There are even deviations on the convergence development to your individuals philosophy in almost any places whilst the chief development leans for the convergence.
Mediocre change in intercourse variations in thinking out of so you can to have 17 European countries. The quantity graphed denotes the alteration in the sheer intercourse difference between and you will . Negative wide variety indicate that the difference during the viewpoints was in fact coming down (converging) to have a certain worth within the a certain country whereas positive amounts suggest an increase in gender huge difference (divergence)
A crude way of showing it trend is by pooling all products (countries) and contrasting the brand new standardized change (Cohen’s d) between folk in the first a few swells from ESS (2002–2004) to the last a few waves out-of ESS (2014–2016). Dining table 2 means that Cohen’s d decrease for everybody values which have the typical reduction of fifteen%. It very easy malfunction of your information is in line with Hypothesis 2, and that says that men’s and ladies’ really worth priorities converge over time.
Longitudinal Patterns
Turning to the longitudinal models, we first ran repeated measurement models with only time (see Table 3). Negative time coefficients mean that the difference between men and women is decreasing over time (i.e., converging) because the coefficients correspond to the average change in value differences between men and women across time points. Looking at specific values, Benevolence, Power, and Achievement are converging over time, whereas Universalism and Stimulation display no significant change over time. The effects are not substantial but they clearly refute the idea of a divergence in these values because men and women are becoming more alike over time. Hypothesis 2, predicting a gender convergence in values, is thus partly confirmed. Moreover, there is significant variation in intercept across countries (b = .15–.23, p < .001), but little or no variation in slope (Power: p = .040, all other ps > .22. In other words, the rate of change in value differences does not vary across countries. There is generally no covariance between intercept and slope, which indicates that the change in gender differences in values is not related to the size of the gender difference.
