Read more about these psychological differences!
According to numerous studies, there are some psychological differences between men and women, but most of them are quite subtle, and you need some knowledge to notice them.
Maybe you feel that something is different, but you are not sure how to explain it. For example, if you attend an event or any social gathering, you might notice that women are more emotional and express their feelings better compared to men. On the other hand, you might also notice that when a problem arises, men tend to act quickly.
These are the psychological differences we are talking about, and there are more of them. The above example is probably the most overt way these differences act out, but if you want to dig deeper and learn more about this, you should keep reading. Did you know that men and women may experience stress differently? Or that their brains may be wired to process emotions in distinct ways?
So, what does science say about the hidden ways men’s and women’s minds work differently? Here are the most fascinating facts you need to know!
Men spend more time relaxing, but do they enjoy it more?
Sometimes when you try to analyze it, you might feel like men somehow have more downtime compared to women. Science says that this is true! It is all based on a study led by the University of Barcelona that found out that men, on average, spend more time engaging in leisure activities than women.
The routines of 869 Spanish men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 were studied, and the main focus was on how much time everyone spends on relaxing pastimes like playing sports, attending cultural events, or watching TV.
The results say that men spent about 113 minutes of leisure time per day, while women averaged 101 minutes. It’s true that this is a difference of only 12 minutes, but if you add it up over one year, it means an extra 70 hours of leisure time for men. Almost three full days!
But there is a plot twist. When the participants were asked if they enjoyed their relaxing time, women reported that they enjoyed it more than men. This suggests that while men may have more free time, women might be more intentional about how they use theirs.
All of the psychological differences appeared during childhood
According to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, boys and girls are wired differently, and this becomes noticeable early on. Researchers analyzed the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, neuroticism, and conscientiousness) and how they developed between ages 9 and 13.
At the end of the study, they found two major psychological differences based on gender. First, girls showed higher levels of conscientiousness than boys. This means they were more organized, responsible, and disciplined. Also, as they grew up, their conscientiousness increased at a faster rate than in the case of the boys.
Second, both boys and girls started with low levels of neuroticism, and as they grew older, the levels declined for boys, which means they became more emotionally stable over time. The girls’ levels remained mostly the same.
Social and cultural influences surely play a role in the development of boys and girls, but these early personality differences suggest that biological factors may also be at play.
Women can identify facial expressions of disgust easily
One common belief is that women have higher emotional intelligence, especially when it comes to reading emotions. According to a study published in the journal Emotion, women are much better than men at recognizing expressions of disgust. This is an interesting detail that sheds some light on the above affirmation.
The study was performed by showing the participants a set of photos representing various facial expressions. Then they were asked to identify the emotions. Men and women performed similarly on most emotions, but this is where the psychological differences arise. Women consistently recognized disgust better than men.
Is there any explanation for this? Well, researchers suggest that evolution may have played a role. Women as child-bearers needed to be more perceptive in order to detect potential threats faster. This was even more true for contamination, disease, or spoiled food. This is how women become better at recognizing disgust. This is how they managed to protect their offspring from harmful substances.
Do men and women speak different languages?
Since we are talking about psychological differences, we want to ask you if you ever felt like men and women are communicating differently. A study led by Priyanka Joshi of San Francisco State University made a fascinating discovery: men tend to speak in abstract terms, while women tend to focus on details.
What men do is called “communicative abstraction” in the scientific world. This is a way of expressing ideas that focuses more on the bigger picture. For example, if a man was asked to describe a trip, he probably responded with something along the lines of, “It was a life-changing experience.” On the other hand, women focused on the specifics. Maybe they said something such as “We visited beautiful waterfalls, hiked through the mountains, and ate at a great local restaurant.”
Men are lonely earlier in life and women later
Most of us believe that loneliness tends to become a problem as we age, but research shows us something else. It shows us some interesting psychological differences between men and women.
A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology discovered that loneliness peaks at different life stages, and it all depends on gender. Women feel more lonely later in life, while men feel like this early on.
For men, this happens around midlife, and it’s mostly caused by shifting social roles, career pressures, and the loss of the friendships they have developed in their youth. Also, many men focus on family and tend to neglect their friends.
Women, on the other hand, are more affected by loneliness in old age. Generally, this happens because they outlive their spouses, they retire, and family dynamics change. Women typically maintain stronger social networks throughout life, but when they are seniors, all of the factors we mentioned above can lead to feelings of isolation.
Extroverted men get partners more easily than extroverted women
Extraversion is a trait often associated with social success, but when romance comes into play, men and women experience this differently. There are some psychological differences here that showed the scientists that extroverted men tend to find romance more easily, and unfortunately, their female counterparts do not always experience the same level of romantic happiness.
Men are generally seen as confident, outgoing, and charismatic, traits that are found attractive in romantic settings. On the other hand, extroverted women don’t have the same advantages. They have active social lives but societal pressures and life priorities are different and this creates a huge gap.
If you want to read more about this, check out this book: Brain Sex: The Real Difference Between Men and Women
You should also read: 6 Dangerous Types of Narcissists to Stay Away From
