Which Sex Reacts More Strongly to Negative Events?
We all know first-hand that there are many innate, biological differences between men and women. Whether it be our hormones, our brains, our bodies or the way we act, these differences are what make studying people so freakin’ interesting.
Well, science has unveiled yet another difference that sets men and women apart: it’s the way we react to negative events.
Why do men not cry when their sweet puppy dies? Why do women cry at movies or TV shows? The answer to this is simple: the hormone testosterone.
Hormonal Differences
Testosterone (noun): A steroid hormone, also known as the male sex hormone, that is the most potent of naturally occurring androgens. Androgens cause the development of male sex characteristics. High levels of testosterone are related to muscle building and strength in men and risky behavior–including increased aggressiveness and anger.
AKA: it’s the hormone that makes men feel “manly”. Women have testosterone in their bodies too, just very low levels of it.
In this study conducted by psychiatric researchers at the University of Montreal, participants of both sexes had their brains scanned while looking at positive, neutral and negative images. The results indicated that women gave the negative pictures more negative ratings than the men did.
When analyzing the hormone levels between the men and women, the differences in testosterone gave them an answer: the more testosterone both men and women had, the less they reacted to negative pictures.
An interesting finding here was that men who had lower levels of testosterone, or were more “feminine”, processed and rated the negative images the same as women. Likewise, more “masculine” women, those who had higher levels of testosterone, reacted less to the negative pictures just like the majority of the men.
Brain Differences
When taking a closer look, it is evident that there are key differences in brain function between men and women. The finding essential to this study: men have a stronger connection between the amygdala and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), compared to women.
The amygdala plays a key role in processing our emotions, and the dmPFC is associated with processing and understanding the mental states, intentions and behaviors of others. This connection means that men tend to “rationalize” away the negative events and images in their lives.
While women focus on the feelings and emotions that are generated when dealing with negative stimuli, men take a more analytical approach. Their testosterone and amygdala-dmPFC connection give their brains a buffer between them and the negativity they will occasionally be immersed in.
Bonus: Having a hard time processing a devastating event in your life? How to Recover from an Upsetting Experience can help!
This may explain why men will hide away when dealing with a loss, grief or heartbreak. They often internalize and rationalize the negativity they’re confronted with in solitude so they can fully understand the unfortunate situation at hand.
The Bottom Line:
The differences between men and women here not only have have a biological impact, but a cultural impact as well. All their lives, women are allowed and encouraged to be emotionally expressive. Growing up, boys are told to not cry, to not show their emotions, to handle things “like a man”. Men out there: it is OK to cry, to let yourself feel. Being “emotional” is not just a womanly thing, it’s a human thing. Wallow in it, feel it and grow from it.