What is the reason that men and women differ so significantly in their behavior and their views when it comes to matters of love and relationships? Why is it, if the two sexes are meant for each other, often so difficult to co-exist in the context of a relationship or a marriage?
 |
| Albrecht Dürer (1507) - Adam und Eva, Prado museum, Madrid |
According to the biopsychosocial model, the social environment and the psychology of the two sexes, in combination with the biological background, contribute to the behavior they manifest when they are sexually mature. From the perspective of evolutionary psychology the between-sex differences in humans can be traced back to primeval times, when the pressure of a different physical and social environment pushed them to assume different social roles that eventually led to the development of different psychology. As reproductive status was an important parameter during this time, the two sexes adjusted their behavior in order to ensure better survival and reproductive success. Therefore the females developed traits and skills that increased the survival of their offspring while males were less concerned with reproduction [1]. This, however, does not mean that the sexes have stopped evolving since then. On the contrary, the results of the radical social changes that have occurred in the last few centuries can be seen in the psychology of both sexes. In principle, in society, the sexes will assume the roles in which they have a better chance of succeeding, and in turn they will further develop social skills that will ensure their success in the given social position.
In the context of psychological studies, participants were asked about the desirability of certain characteristics in a prospective husband or wife. The results showed that physical appearance and earning potential were valued more by males and females respectively, consistent with the aforementioned theory [2]. Another study investigated in more detail which physical features men and women found attractive in a long- and short-term partner. Interestingly enough, first in preference was “Body, build” for both sexes, but in the second and third position were the “Mouth, smile” and “Height” for women and “Face” and “Eyes” for men. Moreover, both sexes prioritized the physical characteristics of their short-term partners over those of their long-term ones [3].
Male and Female Brain Areas of Love
The role of biological background must not be neglected in any case, as it provides more concrete evidence on the matter. Differences in the “rules of attraction” between males and females have been documented by the different activity rates of certain brain areas during “romantic” love. In particular, a stronger activation of the areas that integrate the visual stimuli was recorded in males, signifying their focus on physical appearance. Females, on the other hand, seem to focus more on social status as witnessed by activation of brain areas associated with attention and emotion. These different patterns of activation could indicate, in accordance with the theory of evolutionary psychology, the priorities that each gender has for the formation of a family, namely, the young and healthy woman that is more likely to bear offspring for the male and the security and resources that a man should provide for the female [4].
During sexual arousal as well there seem to be functional differences between the two sexes, as an fMRI study found greater activation of the hypothalamus in men compared to women when they were shown erotic films. In addition, sex drive, defined as the desire for sexual gratification, seems to be related to circulating levels of testosterone in both sexes, and more specifically to the balance between androgens and estrogens. The disruption of this balance during the menstrual cycle in women results in an increase in the sexual drive. In both sexes, a decline in sexual activity occurs with the decrease in androgens during aging [4].
Gender Differences in Animal Studies
Further evidence supporting the biological differences comes from animal studies. Differences in the hormones promoting attachment in prairie voles have been proposed. In particular, vasopressin and oxytocin were found to be more important for males and females respectively. Additionally, gender differences in the types and distribution of hormone receptors were found in the same species [5]. In another study, social interaction with rats of the opposite sex led to a different response to stress stimuli between male and female rats. Male rats that were housed with female ones showed reduced stress levels compared with male rats that were bred in isolation after exposure to the stress stimuli, while for the females such a difference was not found [6]. The different way male rats experience social interaction with females, as a means of relieving stress, suggests the use of different strategies for managing stress that possibly apply also to the early stages of romantic love.
This combined evidence illustrates the presence of meaningful sex differences that stem from biological, social and psychological variations. Further investigation of these topics could have significant applications for resolving the relationship and sexual problems that many couples face.
[1] Eagly et al, American Psychologist, 1999
[2] Buss, BuJ Cross Cult Psychol, 1990
[3] Li and Kenrick, J Pers Soc Psychol, 2006
[4] Fisher et al, Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 2006
[5] Lim et al, Neuroscience, 2004
[6] Westenbroek et al, Horm Behav, 2005
By Andreas Antonios Diamantaras, Master's Student Medical Neurosciences
This article originally appeared June 2014 volume 7, issue 02, The Neuroscience of Love
No comments:
Post a Comment