Men and Women Ride the Same Emotional Roller Coaster

Contrary to popular myths on stereotypes, women are not more emotional than men, researchers report. A new study reveals men and women ride the same Emotional Roller Coaster.

Debunking Gender Stereotypes: The Emotional Roller Coaster Is Equal Across Genders

Contrary to wide command gender stereotypes, women don’t seem to be more emotional than men, researchers say.

People usually understand feelings like enthusiasm, nervousness, or strength differently between the two genders. For instance, a man whose emotions fluctuate throughout a sporting event is represented as “passionate.”

Experts observed 142 men and women for 75 days to study their daily emotional roller coaster, positive and negative. They divided women into four groups: one naturally cycling and three using different oral contraceptives.

These specialists tracked emotional fluctuations in 142 participants over 75 days, analyzing daily positive and negative emotions. They examined these fluctuations in three different ways to compare emotional patterns between the sexes. The study showed minimal differences in emotional variations between men and various groups of women, indicating that men experience emotional fluctuations similarly to women, though possibly for different reasons.

The findings challenge the historical belief that women’s emotions are inherently more variable due to ovarian hormone fluctuations. Traditionally, this belief led to the exclusion of women from certain studies, based on the assumption that hormonal changes introduced uncontrollable variability. However, this study’s results suggest that emotional variability is not significantly different between genders, potentially shifting the focus of future research.

According to the researchers, these findings have broader implications. They highlight the need to rethink assumptions about emotional differences between sexes and the exclusion of women from research. By demonstrating that emotional fluctuations are comparable across genders, the study calls for a more inclusive approach in emotional research and suggests that both men and women experience emotional ups and downs in similar ways.