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player ready...It looks like there may be his and hers approaches to emotions.
At least that`s the contention of psychologists Tomi-Ann Roberts, Ph.D., of Brigham Young University, and colleague James W. Pennebaker, Ph.D., of Southern Methodist University, who`ve done a new study on the topic.
The two say that men use internal body signals-such as a pounding pulse and tense muscles-to decide what emotion they`re feeling. Women, however, rely on external cues-others` expressions and actions-to interpret their feelings.
Why the difference? The psychologists have multiple theories.
Two involve physiological roots. The first is that men could be innately better at listening to their bodies. Roberts says reams of research confirms that males are better at assessing their bodies` status. An example: When asked to report their bodies` condition after physical exertion, their answers correllated more closely with monitor indications than did womens` reports.
Another reason is that the male and female brains are neurologically wired differently. Nerve pathways that connect the two sides of the brain are larger in women, and may permit them to better integrate information from varied and outside sources.
However, Roberts says she prefers two other explanations, these more connected to socialization than physiology.
The first is that women simply are conditioned to be more adept at recognizing and decoding non-verbal messages.
”People of lower status tend to be better at reading social cues,” she says, explaining that society in general still perceives women as having lower status than men.
Another possibility is that women are conditioned to disregard their body`s signals. It begins, Roberts, says, when girls are taught to regard menstruation with trepidation and disdain.
”They`re bombarded with messages about how (menstruation) is a painful, unpleasant thing,” says Roberts. ”This may be a powerful socialization for girls and women to turn away from trusting their bodies as a reliable indicator.”