Gender Differences Concerning the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism: A Meta-Analysis

The current meta-analysis investigates gender-role differentiation on horizontal-vertical individualism and collectivism orientations. We used the PRISMA and Cochrane's guidelines to find the related resource to answer research questions. We searched ProQuest, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Microsoft Academic, Science.gov , Science open for all published and non-published studies through 1 September 2021. One hundred twenty-eight effect sizes based on eighteen studies were pooled in this meta-analysis. We found a significant difference between males and females in horizontal collectivism (delta = -0.086), with females scoring somewhat higher than males. A significant difference in vertical individualism was also observed (delta = 0.264), indicating that males have a higher score than females. We identified no considerable difference between males and females on vertical collectivism and horizontal individualism. The moderator analysis revealed that country-level cultural differences (individualistic vs. collectivistic societies) modifies gender differences in vertical individualism. Males show a higher vertical individualism than females in individualistic societies, while no difference was observed between males and females in collectivistic societies. We identified that age group moderates the male-female difference in horizontal individualism. Males among adolescents (16-19) revealed more horizontal individualism than females, and no difference was identified between males and females in young adults (20-26).