Psychologist Links "Feminization of Sense-Making Institutions" to Societal Decline, Citing Gender-Coded Traits

A developmental psychologist, J.D. Haltigan, PhD, has sparked debate with a recent social media post asserting that the "feminization of all of our sense-making institutions is civilization degrading," linking this phenomenon to perceived gender-coded traits. Haltigan's statement draws upon concepts of "systemization" and "empathisation," describing the former as "male-coded" and the latter as "female-coded," and further stating that "truth is male-coded, thus civilization is male-coded."

"Systemization is male-coded. Autism is male-coded. Truth is male-coded, thus civilization is male-coded. Lesson here for why the feminization of all of our sense-making institutions is civilization degrading. Empathisation is female-coded," Haltigan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Dr. Haltigan, whose academic background includes a PhD in developmental psychology and research in developmental and evolutionary psychopathology, has consistently explored the intersection of psychology, culture, and societal trends. His work often examines how psychological phenomena inform social policy, and he has previously voiced concerns regarding "woke" ideology in academia and "gender identity ideology." He is affiliated with the Centre for Heterodox Social Science and has engaged in discussions with public intellectuals like Jordan Peterson.

The concepts referenced by Haltigan originate from the Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S) theory, primarily developed by psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen. This theory posits that individuals can be classified based on their abilities in empathic thinking—the capacity to recognize and respond to others' mental states—and systematic thinking, which involves analyzing or building rule-based systems. Large-scale studies have indicated that, on average, females tend to score higher on empathy measures, while males typically score higher on systemizing measures.

An extension of the E-S theory, the "Extreme Male Brain" theory of autism, suggests that autistic individuals, regardless of biological sex, often exhibit a "masculinized" cognitive profile characterized by lower empathy and average or above-average systemizing abilities. This framework is often used to explain the higher prevalence of autism diagnoses in males. However, these theories have faced criticism within the scientific community. Critics argue that they may perpetuate gender stereotypes, point to methodological limitations in some supporting studies, and some scholars have labeled the approach as "neurosexism." Research also suggests that social and cultural factors, including gender stereotypes, can influence how individuals perform on empathy and systemizing assessments.