i agree with the whole socializing thing....we have two males and they are both very loving and affectionate....hardly ever bark and only one time the oldest has gotten snippy with me but that was becuase i was taking his little monkey away from him....
We used to have a female who came to us from a bad home and she was not socialized at all...it was very obvious...she would bark her fool head off at everyone coming to the house and would not shut up. she didn't want anyone touching her or cuddling at all. If you bent down to pick her up she would snip at you....she wanted to be affectionate only on her terms....and she would never look you in the eye.
I love my boys and heard males are more affectionate but i know females can be as well....its all in the socialization...