Many people have ideas about the way that men and women might differ in emotion. Researchers have explored this topic in depth, looking at differences in both the experience and expression of emotions. You might have some ideas of your own.
Additionally, researchers have investigated whether women and men differ in their ability to understand the emotions of others, to decode their expressions. Social psychologists are interested in not just describing differences, if they exist, but also in trying to understand where they arise from. That is the topic explored in the research study you are asked to read for this assignment.
The details for the assignment are outlined below.
Read the attached article and respond to the following:
Hampton and colleagues (2006) suggest in their article that women are able to more quickly recognize (decode) emotional expressions compared to men.
Briefly, explain in your own words the two main hypotheses they are testing and which, if any, their results support.
The researchers argue that experience (with child-rearing) cannot account for their findings and point to evolutionary mechanisms as an explanation. Briefly summarize their argument for why evolution is the best explanation.
Even though the researchers discount child-rearing as a cause, there may be other experiential factors that contribute to the difference identified. Think about the ways that men and women might differ in their social interactions and how they are treated. Identify at least one alternative explanation based on social experience that might contribute to the research findings and explain your reasoning.
Response papers should be roughly 2 – 3 pages in length. Make sure to fully explain your ideas and demonstrate that you have read the article for understanding and engaged in critical thinking. Remember the tips from Assignment 1: avoid using quotes from the article, instead paraphrase and re-write in your own words.
