A study challenges the theory that men are more competitive than women.
- Men are considered more competitive than women. But a study deconstructs this preconceived idea.
- In situations where resources are not equally distributed among individuals, researchers have found that females display greater intrasexual competition.
- Additionally, women were more likely to engage in indirect forms of competition such as gossip.
Men would be very competitive while women would be less concerned with questions of rivalry. This common idea is challenged by the study by American and Canadian researchers presented in Scientific Reports.
Women can be more competitive than men
To determine whether the taste for competition was truly a male characteristic, the researchers brought together 596 people of both sexes. The participants were married, had at least one child and came from three countries (United States, India, Mexico). The team asked them about how they react in situations where resources are not distributed equally, thus creating inequality between individuals, and especially for their offspring.
Faced with such scenarios, women are much more competitive than men, especially among themselves. They were also more likely to feel envy or resentment towards those with more resources.
“These results suggest that women may be even more competitive than men in contexts where significant resources related to reproductive success are at stake”write authors Joyce F. Benenson and Henry Markovits.
Competition among women is more subtle
While women tend to be more competitive when it comes to competing for resources, they use methods “more subtle” than men to achieve their ends. They do not seem to seek a direct confrontation with their rivals, but rather to thwart their efforts. The study shows that women are more likely to participate in indirect forms of competition such as gossiping or spreading rumours.
These results challenge the traditional concepts considering that men are naturally more competitive than women. They therefore suggest that competitiveness should not be seen as gender-specific, but rather as context-dependent.
Understanding the differences between the two genders in competition could benefit workplace relationships and parenting practices.
