Gender differences in punishment and reward sensitivity in a sample of Taiwanese college students

Abstract

Reward and punishment sensitivity is a critical component of individual personality. Previous studies based on a number of personality theories have suggested gender differences in reward and punishment sensitivity. However, there also appear to be important cultural differences in these personality dimensions. For instance, females showed greater novelty seeking than males in the Scandinavian population but the reverse appeared to be true of Americans. The current study employed the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ) to examine gender differences in these personality traits in a sample of Taiwanese college students ( n = 548). Replicating the study of Torrubia and colleagues in Spanish college students, we showed that males and females did not differ in punishment sensitivity and that males showed greater reward sensitivity than females, as assessed by SPSRQ. Furthermore, factor analyses suggested that reward sensitivity could comprise two different dimensions, with one related to reward sensitivity in a social context and the other related to reward sensitivity in a personal context or sensation seeking. Men showed greater sensitivity than women in both dimensions. These results suggest the psychological complexity of reward sensitivity and the importance of considering cultural differences in the assessment of personality traits.