Girls and boys are pre-programmed by biology to behave according to traditional gender roles
While some evolutionary and biological research suggests that hormones and adaptive strategies influence behavioral tendencies, other studies and sociological frameworks emphasize the strong role of cognitive, social, and cultural factors in shaping gender roles, making the issue heavily contested.
The retrieved literature contains a mix of perspectives. Some papers (like [0] and [5]) emphasize evolutionary psychology and hormonal influences on behavior and preferences, aligning with the claim. Other literature (such as [2] and [4]) emphasizes cognitive gender over biological sex, or critiques biological essentialism by highlighting social and cultural contexts. Given this active interdisciplinary debate regarding the extent of biological pre-programming versus social construction, CONTESTED is the appropriate verdict.
Marc J. Defant. Evolutionary Basis of Gender Dynamics: Understanding Patriarchy, the Pay Gap, and the Glass Ceiling. 2025. https://doi.org/10.35297/001c.132320
Paper 0 argues that evolutionary psychology and biology significantly shape career choices, competitiveness, and caregiving preferences, suggesting gender roles are rooted in adaptive strategies.
Xizhen Han. The Influence of Different Gender Roles on the Formation of Attachment Types--An Analysis from an Evolutionary Psychology Perspective. 2024. https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/48/20231549
Paper 2 highlights that an individual's cognitive pattern shows a higher correlation with cognitive gender than with strict biological sex, integrating psychosocial factors.
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Yuan-shan Zhu, Li-qun Cai. Effects of male sex hormones on gender identity, sexual behavior, and cognitive function.. 2006. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16706106/
Paper 5 discusses how sex hormones influence sexually dimorphic behavior and brain differentiation, pointing to biological factors in gender identity and function.
Sofia Persson, T. Hostler. Description as prescription? A registered report on the effect of evolutionary psychology on biological essentialism and rape attributions. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.260500
Paper 4 notes that evolutionary explanations can promote biological essentialism, but frames gender roles and associated behaviors within cultural scaffolding and social contexts rather than strict pre-programming.
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