Gender Differences in Verbal Presumptuousness and Attentiveness

Abstract

Men's and women's verbal presumptuousness and attentiveness were measured by verbal response mode coding of laboratory conversations in five studies. The data were used to assess implications of two common assumptions about gender roles in American society: that women's status is viewed as lower than men's and that women tend to be oriented toward maintaining relationships, whereas men tend to be oriented toward hierarchy, mastery, and control Comparisons failed to show the expected greater presumptuousness by men, despite evidence that presumptuousness was closely regulated within dyads. In these conversations, women were more attentive than men under some conditions, particularly within committed relationships (married or dating couples).