are men really more rational than women?

[gib65]

There is a centry-old myth that men are more rational, women more emotional. Is this really true?

 

While I have no doubt that women are more emotional than men, I don't think this impedes on their rationality. Speaking only from my personal encounters with women, their higher emotionality is compensated for by better emotional management skills. That is, they seem better equiped to manage their emotions and express them is socially and practically acceptable ways. They don't as often go off the hinge as men do. So with this better skill at managing emotions, perhaps their faculties of rationality and logic remain safe and untampered?

 

I don't know.

 

First, I'm asking whether the men-as-rational/women-as-emotion myth is supported by any evidence, and second, whether any evidence exists to support my interpretation that women are better equipped to manage their emotions, and if this means they can be just as rational as men.

[Phi for All]

Speaking from my personal encounters, my hypothesis is that men and women are equally rational, but they're focused differently. Stemming from our pre-civilized hunter/gatherer roles, I think men are focused tactically to find game and hunt it down. Women, in their much broader role of gatherers, tend to be focused more strategically, watching for everything all at once.

 

There is evidence that we still have some of those hunter/gatherer genes in us today. One study suggests that women can see more shades of red than men, and they have fewer instances of color blindness. This would have been of great use looking for berries and other indicators of edible and poisonous plants.

 

Men's logic tends to be more tactically oriented. "See a fire, put it out." Women are perfectly rational but within a broader strategic framework. "Perhaps it would be better in the long run to let the forest burn." Maybe the extra emotions come from having to explain their logic to men who don't get it and just want to put the fire out, but I think the emotions come from worrying about everything simultaneously all the time.

[StringJunky]

I suspect, from the perspective of either gender, the other is less rational than they are.

[D H]

Edited April 6, 2012 by D H

[gib65]

I suspect, from the perspective of either gender, the other is less rational than they are.

 

I second that. My guess is that it's always been an obvious fact (to both sexes) that women are more emotional, and it was therefore assumed that this made them less rational (i.e. heightened emotion = clouded rationality). But this is probably men projecting upon women what happens to themselves under emotional duress, and it was an easy excuse to claim proof that their perspective of women's irrational ways of thinking (because of what you just said--that either sex is irrational to the other) is accurate. Not implausible, if you ask me, but still just an assumption. This is not to say that emotion doesn't cloud rational judgment for the female sex, but that there may be no grounds to assume it happens to the same degree in women as it happens in men.

[StringJunky]

Rational needs to be defined suitably and accord reached about what it means, otherwise, readers will be talking about different interpretations of the word and no meaningful conclusions are likely to be reached. What does rational mean and does it vary between the genders?

[MonDie]

Why do these differences in thinking develop, to what degree do the sexes differ, and can these differences (which are correlated with sex) be more strongly correlated with a sex-dependent trait?

Edited April 6, 2012 by Mondays Assignment: Die

[D H]

From what I've seen, neither males nor females are rational beings for the most part. Humans are rationalizing beings. Rationalizations and bits of truthiness from a female might differ from their male equivalents, but they're still equivalents. Not rational, and not factual.

[gib65]

This is all very stimulating conversation, but I'd like to get back to the original question: is there any evidence in the psychological sciences that supports the theory that women, being the more emotional sex, are thereby less rational, and also whether they have better emotional management skills than men.

[Xittenn]

As far as I'm aware in the psychological sciences there is no support of the theory that women are the more emotional sex, and so your question is moot. Describing oneself or being described as being more emotional doesn't make it true!

[MonDie]

But there are some differences. I should have mentioned that I was talking about known differences in brain functioning. Was there a thread on those already?

 

I suppose society thinks women are more emotional because it's said that they're more emotional during certain periods of hormonal activity. However, testosterone is associated with rage. That's why people get "roid rage." Perhaps society discourages emotion in men and therefore doesn't let them blame their hormones.

Edited April 8, 2012 by Mondays Assignment: Die

[too-open-minded]

Personally I think rationality depends on the individual.

 

To generalize a group of people is irrational in my eyes.

 

Although it is almost basic human instinct, to see something and try to know as much about it as possible so we throw a label on it and cram it into some categories.

But basic human instinct is where most of our ignorance riddled problems lie.

 

If only we could be content not knowing.

 

We cant stand not having an answer. So you could say our biggest flaw is our greatest strength, at-least through my eyes you could say that.

You probably see things differently though, as your eyes are not mine.

 

Even though we may agree on the subject, to some degree our views are different. As your eyes are not mine.

[jeskill]

I agree with StringJunky. "Rational" needs to be defined. For example, are you asking if men's behaviour is affected moreso by conscious reasoning rather than experience? (i.e. are you saying that men use "rational choice theory" moreso than "heuristics"?) If this is the question, then I`d have to answer NO. Most people, men or women, use heuristics to make the majority of decisions. From an evolutionary perspective, heuristics are the better strategy because they allow for quick, decisive decisions, hence, this is what we do.

[KatzAndMice]

yes...

[hypervalent_iodine]

yes...

 

Care to elaborate?

[KatzAndMice]

Care to elaborate?

 

womenz iz crazy

 

anything i say will be totally subjective and presumptuous within my own experience