The mood swing myth

Scientists debunk belief that women are more emotional than men – and find we all have same ups and downs

FROM Hollywood movies to romantic novels to the workplace, women have long been seen as more emotional than men.

It has meant having to battle perceptions about being on an emotional rollercoaster and prone to mood swings and tears – often with the dismissal that it is because it is the ‘time of the month’.

But a study shows that in reality women have no more emotional ups and downs than men.

Researchers followed 142 men and women who completed daily questionnaires over two months.

They rated their levels of positive emotion – such as excitement and determination – and negative emotion, including being upset or irritable. Across the 75 days, men’s emotions varied just as much as women’s and their positive feelings may even have varied more.

To see if women’s hormones affected their mood swings, the study compared those on the Pill – which is known to reduce hormonal fluctuations – with those not taking it, and again found no major differences.

Michigan University’s Adriene Beltz, senior author of the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, said: ‘There is evidence that many factors beyond hormones can affect people’s emotions, including a lack of sleep, interactions with others, winter weather, their team losing at sports or having watched a sad film.

‘A man whose emotions fluctuate during a sporting event is described as passionate, but a woman is considered irrational. Everyone’s emotions go up and down.’

The study took an average score of people’s positive and negative feelings, which they were asked to report at the end of their day between 8pm and bedtime. Each day they rated different emotions on a scale from one, if they felt them slightly or not at all, to five if they were extremely strong.

The ten positive emotions, scored separately, included feeling proud, alert, inspired and strong.

Among the ten negative emotions were distress, guilt and fear.

The study authors suggest that testosterone in some men, or personality traits linked to dominance and aggression, may influence their emotions.

They also suggest more women should be included in scientific research, rather than being ruled out because their hormones are assumed to make them more emotionally erratic.

Dr Beltz said: ‘These findings show that emotions are affected by many factors.’