In everyday language, there's the concept of feminine intuition or women's sixth sense… Well, a recent study conducted by British psychologists seems to confirm this popular belief. Here's a brief explanation.
A questionnaire administered to 4,000 participants
Researchers examined women's and men's ability to understand what others are thinking, and the study's findings suggest that women have a greater capacity to perceive these thoughts. To reach this conclusion, the researchers developed a questionnaire and administered it to 4,000 participants.
Better reading of nonverbal communication cues
Specifically, women demonstrated a greater ability than men to put themselves in others' shoes and identify what they might be thinking; this ability is based primarily on the interpretation of behavioral cues, in other words, on nonverbal communication, which women detect better than men.
An Understanding That Does Not Relate to Empathy
This study, based on self-reported data, might lead one to argue that women feel more capable of putting themselves in others' shoes and adopting their perspectives, even if this perception is not a reality. Nevertheless, the researchers explain that empathy, that is, understanding the feelings of others, was clearly distinguished from the ability to perceive thoughts.
An Inequality Among Individuals in Perceiving Thoughts
Furthermore, some participants with autism spectrum disorder confirmed difficulties with non-verbal communication and understanding social behaviors. In any case, one thing is certain: the ability to understand how others think and to grasp their point of view is not equal in all individuals.
 Frank Verain
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17/02/2021 | 
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