influence of age and gender on benevolence

At any age, females consistently rate themselves higher than males in benevolence, which is the personal value defined as the concern for the welfare of people close to them. There is robust evidence, however, that older women rate themselves as less benevolent than how middle-aged women rate themselves, whereas males keep rating themselves as increasingly benevolent as they age. The possible causes of this male–female difference are not known but an analysis of current literature suggests an evolutionary fading of the role expectations associated with gender.