Abstract
There have been done studies of sex differences by many researchers from various standpoints. These studies, however, are considered with no strictly scientific methods or instruments. The purpose of this study is, first, to classify those studies according to the authors' opinion into the following areas and secondly, to investigate which sex is more predominantly conscious about the own sex than the other's.
For this reason, the following problems may firstly be discussed.(1) What views would be possibly used to classify the researches previously done? (2) When do young children begin to be conscious of their own sex role? At 4 years old or before it? (3) Which sex are more instable with the consciousness of, and preference to their own sex role in early childhood? (4) Is there difference between male and female on preference of their attributes?
In our investigation several main results are emerged as follow.(1) The views of researches on sex difference are possibly classified into the following areas. a) superficial quantitative studies. b) studies of variance in abilities between male and female. c) studies by means of factor-analysis on structures of abilities between male and female. d)studies on dynamics of functions or essential abilities. e) studies of masculinity and femininity, and applied researches followed. f) studies of consciousness of sex role or sex difference.(2) By means of the card-sorting method (with male, female and neutral cards), 4. years old children appear to be conscious of their own sex role.(3) The female children are more instable in identifying themselves with their own sex role than male children, and apt to attribute the neutral traits as those of opposite sex.(4) In general, both sexes perceive male more predominant than female in various abilities (interms of mental and psycho-physicr' functions). Boys and girls are attributing to own sex as the more desirable personal character than the opposite sex, respectively, but both are attributing female as the more undesirable character. As to desirable moral behavior, the tendencies are the same as to desirable character. However, whereas elementary school children are attributing to male as the sex with more undesirable moral behavior, middle school boys tend to attribute to the opposite sex and girls appear unchanged.
