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Sex differences in emotion expression: Developmental, epigenetic, and cultural factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2009

Carroll E. Izard
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716. izard@udel.eduhttp://www.psych.udel.edu/people/faculty/izard.aspkfinlon@psych.udel.edusgrossman@psych.udel.eduhttp://www.psych.udel.edu/people/StacyGrossman.asp
Kristy J. Finlon
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716. izard@udel.eduhttp://www.psych.udel.edu/people/faculty/izard.aspkfinlon@psych.udel.edusgrossman@psych.udel.eduhttp://www.psych.udel.edu/people/StacyGrossman.asp
Stacy R. Grossman
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716. izard@udel.eduhttp://www.psych.udel.edu/people/faculty/izard.aspkfinlon@psych.udel.edusgrossman@psych.udel.eduhttp://www.psych.udel.edu/people/StacyGrossman.asp

Abstract

Vigil's socio-relational framework of sex differences in emotion-expressive behavior has a number of interesting aspects, especially the principal concepts of reciprocity potential and perceived attractiveness and trustworthiness. These are attractive and potentially heuristic ideas. However, some of his arguments and claims are not well grounded in research on early development. Three- to five-year-old children did not show the sex differences in emotion-expressive behavior discussed in the target article. Our data suggest that Vigil may have underestimated the roles of epigenetic and cultural factors in shaping emotion-expressive behavior.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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