How has evolution shaped men’s and women’s minds? A new book tells an outdated story

Psychologist Steve Stewart-Williams presents his view on the origins of psychological sex differences between men and women in his book, A Billion Years of Sex Differences: How Evolution Shaped the Minds of Men and Women. He argues that the majority of observed differences in sexuality, partner preferences, antisocial behavior, and parenting are largely determined by nature, rather than nurture.

Moreover, he asserts that these differences have evolved to help men and women survive and reproduce effectively. However, his perspective is more extreme than most, as he places a strong emphasis on the role of genetics in shaping these differences, which goes against the growing trend of placing greater emphasis on cultural influences on human minds and social life.

While he acknowledges similarities between the sexes, Stewart-Williams believes that gender roles and hierarchy are primarily a result of inherent psychological differences between men and women, rather than the other way around as suggested by social role theory.