Article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-interacting-with-woman-leave-man-cognitively-impaired
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This article describes studies which show that men become cognitively impaired after interacting with an attractive woman or simply by anticipating an interaction with a woman they do not know. Experiments performed at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands used male and female university students as participants to study the psychological effect of women on men. Each student’s cognitive performance was tested using a Stroop test, which involves a list of colors written in a different colored ink. The ability to process competing information can be determined according to how quickly a person can name the color of the ink the word is written in, ignoring the actual word. Participants were then asked to read in front of a camera, supposedly as a “lip reading task” which would be watched by an observer on the other end of the webcam. Participants were told the observer’s name (obviously male or female), but no other information about the person watching them. Afterwards, the students took another Stroop test. The women did not perform any differently. Neither did men who thought a man was observing. However, men who thought a woman was observing them did worse on the second test. In another experiment, the researchers had participants do the same tasks, but rather than having them perform the “lip reading,” they simply made the participants think they were going to and then administered the Stroop test. Again, women and men who thought they were going to be observed by a man did not change. But men who were told a woman would be observing, even though there was never any observation, still did worse the second time. Not only did the men not have to physically interact with a woman, but they also only had to think about an interaction with women to become cognitively impaired. The researchers believe this phenomenon may have something to do with men being more aware of possible mating opportunities and therefore concentrating more on whether or not the woman might be a potential date. There is also more social pressure on men to be impressive in front of the opposite sex. We use a lot of mental energy thinking about how others may interpret what we say and how we act. So when men are too concerned about what a woman may think of him, he is more likely to become cognitively impaired.
Movies and TV shows love to portray men acting like fools in front of pretty girls, but there is never an explanation for this behavior other than their brains being turned to mush. This study offers that much needed explanation. This research provides a better understanding of the way we think and act during social interactions. As technology advances, we rely more on interactions via the internet, such as online dating. This study proves that these interactions cause the same psychological impairments as face-to-face encounters. When a man worries about what a women might think of him, whether she be there in person or simply chatting with him online, he cannot think as clearly. This may have been generally accepted before, but now there is proof.
As a sociology minor, I am interested in how people interact with one another. I find this study and its findings absolutely fascinating. I am from a family full of boys and am constantly amazed by both our similarities and our differences. This particular difference has rather humorous effects at times, as seen on tv. I guess I will have to be more forgiving from now on towards members of the male gender who forget how to think properly around me or my female friends.
