Stuck in a tricky situation and struggling to make a decision? It would be better if you leave it on your wife, scientists say.
Researchers at the University of Southern California found that men respond differently to risky situations when under stress, while women tend to take their time before taking a decision.
They found that when the pressure is on, men charge ahead and make snap decisions for small rewards, while women are likely to take their time. It’s also found that the sexes have different brain activation patterns during the decision-making process, the Daily Mail reported.
Lead researcher Nichole Lighthall said: “Being more cautious and taking the time to make a decision will often be the right choice.” “It might be better to have more gender diversity on important decision because men and women offer differing perspectives,” she said.
For the study, published in the Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience , the researchers gave volunteers a task of filling up a computer-simulated balloon with as much air as possible without popping the balloon.
Subjects earned from USD 4 to USD 45 based on their performance, with the men earning much more cash under stress. Lighthall said that although men performed this task better, the more important conclusion may be that important decisions made under stress should include input from both genders.
