Sex differences in human gregariousness

• Main Authors: Joyce F. Benenson, Sandra Stella, Anthony Ferranti
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PeerJ Inc. 2015-05-01
• Series: PeerJ
• Subjects: Sex differences; Gregariousness; Sociality; Non-kin; Humans; Primates
• Online Access: https://peerj.com/articles/974.pdf

Research on human sociality rarely includes kinship, social structure, sex, and familiarity, even though these variables influence sociality in non-human primates. However, cross-cultural ethnographic and observational studies with humans indicate that, beginning after age 5 years, males and females form differing social structures with unrelated individuals in a community. Specifically, compared with females, human males exhibit greater tolerance for and form larger, interconnected groups of peers which we term “gregariousness.” To examine sex differences in gregariousness early in life when children first interact with peers without adult supervision, 3- to 6-year-old children were given the choice to enter one of three play areas: an empty one, one with an adult, or one with a familiar, same-sex peer. More males than females initially chose the play area with the same-sex peer, especially after age 5 years. Sex differences in gregariousness with same-sex peers likely constitute one facet of human sociality.