SEX, GENDER, AND AGGRESSIVE-BEHAVIOR - ARE MEN MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN WOMEN BECAUSE OF BIOLOGICAL FACTORS

In everyday life it appears that men are more aggressive than women. This is often explained by biological factors. In this article, the biological explanation of sex differences is presented and critically reviewed. Centrally it is asked whether biological and sociological factors can be separated in empirical research. Results from ethology and psychophysiology show that even hormonal influences cannot be seen as independent of psychosocial conditions. Thus, on the basis of empirical results from different research domains of aggressive behavior it cannot be concluded that men are more aggressive than women because of biological factors.