Why is it harder for men to read emotions than women?

A new British study found that men actually find it harder to read people's emotions than women, because their brains have to work twice as long as women in order to determine whether they look friendly. clever.

According to researchers from the University of Edinburgh, that has confirmed the long-standing view of the ability of ' gender empathy, emotional expression and handling of social stimuli' .

The team used magnetic resonance brain scanning (MRI) to study an individual's reaction while observing facial expressions flashed in front of them. Volunteers were divided into three groups: men, women and men with Asperger's syndrome (autism disorder).

The MRI scan revealed areas of the brain that were activated when volunteers were asked to determine which faces they found reliable, accessible or intelligent.

As a result, both groups of men increase blood flow to the area of ​​the brain responsible for social function. Women appear to react faster than men to the emotions that are approached while the men with the most autism struggle to 'read' emotions.

'Our research shows that men have developed strategies to deal with their less empathic by activating social signal reading areas in the brain. This phenomenon is also found in people with autism-related diseases. That means, we can improve the new tool to help patients understand social rules and develop skills that connect with others , 'said lead researcher Stephen Lawrie, head of research. emphasize.

Lawrie added that, to achieve the same results as women in social situations, they may have to think harder.