The Battle of the Sexes: Proof at Last-Men and Women are Different!
Ventura Star, February 27, 2006

By Terry Paulson, PhD

As a psychologist, I am often frustrated that there seems to be no scientific study too fragmented, no hypothesis too trivial, no literature citation too tangential, no discussion of results too obscure, no analysis too self-serving, no argument too politically correct, and no conclusions too trifling or too unjustified for a study to end up in print and covered by our media. But sometimes, there are exceptions to this generalization. Sometimes, research studies actually support what common sense would suggest.

A recent study by the Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience at University College London suggests that men may feel more satisfaction than women when unfair people receive deserved physical punishment. In the study conducted by Dr. Tania Singer and her research team, when male subjects witnessed people they perceived as "bad guys" being zapped by a mild electrical shock, their M.R.I. scans lit up in primitive brain areas associated with reward. Stimulation in their brains' empathy centers remained dull. Women watching the punishment, in contrast, showed no response in centers associated with pleasure. Even though the women also reported that they didn't like the "bad guys," their empathy centers still quietly glowed. The study seems to show in physical terms what many people already assume: women are generally more empathetic than men and men take some pleasure in seeing deserved punishment delivered.

To cultivate personal likes and dislikes in their 32 research subjects, they asked them to play an elaborate money-strategy game, where both members of a pair would profit if both behaved cooperatively in the game. The ranks of subjects were infiltrated by actors told to play selfishly. Volunteers came quickly to "very much like" the partners who were cooperative, while disliking those who failed to cooperate and hoarded rewards. Once they were conditioned to like and dislike their game-playing partners, the subjects were placed in M.R.I. scanners and asked to watch the various partners receive mild electrical shocks.

The scans indicated that both men and women seemed to feel the pain of partners they liked; both sexes were capable of experiencing empathy. The surprise came while observing the scans of the subjects when they viewed the partners they disliked being shocked. Women seeing the shock still had a reduced but evident empathetic response. The men showed no empathy response at all. The researchers wanted nothing to do with suggesting whether the divergent responses by men and woman to "revenge" were due to their early childhood programming or actual innate differences between the sexes.

The study was focused on how the subjects' degree of empathy correlated with how much they liked or disliked the person being punished. They weren't looking for gender differences, but they found them. It's good to see that scientific evidence is accumulating that supports what to most of us seems obvious-men and women are different! Thank God they are! The dynamic tension between the sexes and our natural inclinations helps maintain a winning balance. It helps us raise our children, cope fairly with crime and punishment and determine the political direction of our country.

Men may be more wired to value standards, maintain justice and issue punishment, while women more naturally demonstrate compassion, show forgiveness and call for rehabilitation. In our families, it's often the fathers who seem inclined to stress rules and discipline and the mothers who are most often calling for understanding and offering a supportive hug to even their misbehaving children. In the political arena, it's the man who seems programmed to respond to any political party whose campaign is strong on crime, punishment and the use of the military to right the wrongs of "evil" regimes. Women often gravitate to politicians who connect with the softer side of policy. They want programs to support the downtrodden, educate those less fortunate, rehabilitate the criminal and "dialogue" with enemies.

But what about the men and women who don't fit the norm? Some men picket against capital punishment and demonstrate for peace at all cost. Some women are quick to sign up to serve with the U.S. Marines in Iraq or march the precincts for conservative candidates who are tough on crime.

It shouldn't be surprising; both nature and nurture still have an impact. Many men, after years of influence by feminists, peace activists and liberal values promoted by our educational system, many churches and our media, can override their more punitive natures. Many women, after years of influence by religious values built on God's law and conservative thinking can find the "tough love" beyond their nurturing natures.

We are better for the differences and the dynamic tension such differences create! That's why it's best to have a mother and father to raise our children and Democrats and Republicans to balance each other out in Washington.

Now as a male who feels satisfaction when the guilty are punished and evil regimes fall, I'm glad Republicans are in control in Washington, but I'm also glad my wife helps soften my columns before I send them in!

Dr. Terry Paulson is a psychologist, speaker and author of The Dinner: The Political Conversation Your Mother Told You Never to Have. Share your comments at his PoliticalTalk Blog or contact him at Terry@TerryPaulson.com.

—May we never forget how truly blessed we are!