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Recent years have seen gender research achieve marked improvements in methods, terminology, and breadth of content. This handbook brings these achievements into perspective by presenting both the current state of the field and an ambitious future agenda.

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Donald R. McCreary and Joan C. Chrisler The Development of Gender Studies in Psychology Studies of sex differences are as old as the ?eld of psychology, and they have been conducted in every sub?eld of the discipline. There are probably many reasons for the popularity of these studies, but three reasons seem to be most prominent. First, social psychological studies of person perception show that sex is especially salient in social groups. It is the ?rst thing people notice about others, and it is one of the things we remember best (Fiske, Haslam, & Fiske, 1991; Stangor, Lynch, Duan, & Glass, 1992). For example, people may not remember who uttered a witty remark, but they are likely to remember whether the quip came from a woman or a man. Second, many people hold ?rm beliefs that aspects of physiology suit men and women for particular social roles. Men´s greater upper body strength makes them better candidates for manual labor, and their greater height gives the impression that they would make good leaders (i. e. , people we look up to). Women´s reproductive capacity and the caretaking tasks (e. g. , breastfeeding, baby minding) that accompany it make them seem suitable for other roles that require gentleness and nurturance. Third, the logic that underlies hypothesis testing in the sciences is focused on difference. Researchers design their studies with the hope that they can reject the null hypothesis that experimental groups do not differ.

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Volume I. Gender Research in General Experimental Psychology. Introduction.- Section 1. History of Psychology. Emergence and Development of the Psychology of Women. Emergence and Development of the Psychology of Men and Masculinity. Emergence and Development of the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues.- Section 2. Research Methods. The Use of Experimental and Quasi-experimental Methods in the Study of Gender. The Use of Qualitative Methods in the Study of Gender. Measurement Issues in the Study of Gender. Cross-cultural Methods and the Study of Gender. Recruiting Diverse Samples in Gender Research.- Section 3. Brain and Behavior. The Neuroscience of Sex Differences. The Physiology of Sex Differences. Gender and Evolutionary Psychology.- Section 4. Sensation and Perception. Sex Differences in Sensory Systems and Acuity. Gender Differences in Visual Perception. Gender and Perceptual Biases.- Section 5. Learning and Educational Psychology. Learning about Gender Roles. Gender in the Classroom. Gender and Academic Abilities and Preferences.- Section 6. Cognitive Processes. Gender and Cognitive Development. Gender, Spatial Abilities, and Wayfinding. Gender and Thinking, Problem Solving, Creativity, and Decision Making. Gender and Intelligence.- Section 7. Communication. The Language of Gender. Gender, Power, and Language Use. Gender, Power, and Nonverbal Behavior.- Section 8. Emotion and Motivation. Gender and Emotional Socialization and Expression. Gender, Hunger, and Eating Behavior. Gender and Sexual Motivation and Behavior.

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