Tag

Gender Differences

All articles tagged with #gender differences

Newborn girls’ early gaze bias hints at biology of social interest
science17 days ago

Newborn girls’ early gaze bias hints at biology of social interest

Researchers tracked 130 newborns (8 hours to 3 days old) using eye-tracking as they watched side-by-side videos of a woman's face and a toy. Both sexes looked more at the face, but girls spent a larger share of time on the face than boys, suggesting birth-present social attention differences with a likely biological basis (hormonal) rather than culture. The study, conducted at Cambridge and involving 130 infants, acknowledges individual variation and notes implications for later development and susceptibility to neurodevelopmental conditions, with follow-up planned.

Type 2 diabetes shows gender-specific risks, study finds
health1 month ago

Type 2 diabetes shows gender-specific risks, study finds

A UK study of 28,720 people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (2010–2020) finds men are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and end-stage renal disease, while women are more likely to develop mental health conditions; hypertension is the most common complication for all. The researchers call for sex-specific diabetes care, including routine mental health screening for women and earlier cardiovascular and kidney monitoring for men, though causation cannot be established from this observational study.

Alzheimer’s and gender: different risks, shared call for support
health1 month ago

Alzheimer’s and gender: different risks, shared call for support

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and typically presents with memory and cognitive changes. Women are more likely to develop Alzheimer's—partly due to longer lifespans and related social factors—while men are more prone to vascular dementia. Symptoms vary by the type of dementia rather than by gender, and there is no cure. Treatments can ease symptoms and support, with a focus on social engagement, healthy living, and caregiver assistance.

TV Time Linked to Brain Changes in Men, Says Long-Term Study
science2 months ago

TV Time Linked to Brain Changes in Men, Says Long-Term Study

A nearly 24-year study of 1,712 adults found that frequent midlife TV watching was associated with smaller brain volumes and more markers of brain damage in men, while desk-based sitting showed fewer brain changes; exercise did not mitigate these effects, and findings highlight gender differences and the importance of what people do while they sit.

Digits as clues: prenatal estrogen linked to brain growth in evolution
science2 months ago

Digits as clues: prenatal estrogen linked to brain growth in evolution

A study of 225 newborns found that in boys, a higher 2D:4D finger-length ratio—an indicator of greater prenatal estrogen exposure—correlated with larger head circumference, suggesting hormones may have aided brain growth during evolution; the pattern was not observed in girls. Researchers caution that digit ratio signals hormonal exposure rather than causation, though it may support the estrogenized ape hypothesis of brain evolution and highlight potential trade-offs for males.

Libido Worries Are Widespread, New Study Shows
mental-health3 months ago

Libido Worries Are Widespread, New Study Shows

A mixed-method online survey of 1,317 adults found that 57.1% reported worrying about their libido, with concerns most often about a libido that’s too low or not matching a partner’s desire, and these worries were linked to mental health, stress, and relationship dynamics. The study also found gender and relationship-status differences, but cautioned the sample isn’t representative of all adults; authors urge broader, validated measures to better capture variation in sexual desire.

Paradox: Women Sleep Objectively Better Yet Perceive It Poorly
science3 months ago

Paradox: Women Sleep Objectively Better Yet Perceive It Poorly

A Swedish study of 476 adults (238 women, 238 men, ages 29–85) found that women objectively sleep better—fewer awakenings, longer total sleep, higher sleep efficiency, more deep sleep—yet they rate their sleep quality as poorer than men, who tend to underestimate their awakenings. The difference in self-reported sleep quality grows with age, though excluding men with very brief awakenings removes the gap. A limitation is the single-night measurement. Funded by Swedish foundations; published in Sleep Advances (2026).

Diet-Driven Fatigue: Deficiencies in B9 and B12 Linked to Energy Gaps
health4 months ago

Diet-Driven Fatigue: Deficiencies in B9 and B12 Linked to Energy Gaps

A cross‑sectional study of about 600 healthy adults finds higher homocysteine levels—reflecting folate and B12 deficiency—associate with fatigue: in men, more physical fatigue; in women, reduced motivation. The work suggests daily energy and mental drive depend on adequate B9/B12, not just sleep, and may expand the use of homocysteine screening beyond cardiovascular risk.

Urban Birds Flee From Women Faster Than From Men
environment5 months ago

Urban Birds Flee From Women Faster Than From Men

A European, multi-country study across 37 bird species found urban birds take flight sooner when approached by women than by men, with men able to stand closer by about a meter. The exact cues driving this sex difference—such as scent, gait, or body shape—remain unknown, and researchers call for follow-up experiments to identify the responsible signals. The 2,701 observations suggest urban birds are sensitive to subtle human cues, with implications for urban ecology and how scientists study animal behavior in cities.

Urban Birds Startle More at Women Than Men, Study Finds
science5 months ago

Urban Birds Startle More at Women Than Men, Study Finds

An international study of 37 urban bird species across five European countries found birds let male researchers approach about three feet closer before fleeing than female researchers, a robust sex-based difference in flight initiation distance across cities and species. Researchers ruled out obvious factors like hair length, body size, and height, and suggested possibilities such as subtle appearance cues or odor, but no definitive explanation yet. The finding is consistent but remains puzzling to scientists.

Win-Oriented Gaming Ties to Higher Anxiety, Study Shows
video-games6 months ago

Win-Oriented Gaming Ties to Higher Anxiety, Study Shows

A PsyPost study analyzing 13,464 adult gamers found that those who play primarily to win have higher generalized anxiety than players motivated by relaxation, fun, or improvement. Using network analysis, researchers observed that relaxed/fun/improve motives link to more gaming hours for socially avoidant players, while win-motivated players show a distinct pattern and may reduce play as anxiety increases. Women more often cite fun or relaxation, men more often aim to improve or win. Higher generalized anxiety also predicted lower life satisfaction across all players. Limitations include a gender-imbalanced, League of Legends–centric sample; findings suggest mental-health guidance should consider individual gaming motivations.

Left-Handedness Linked to Competitive Edge in One-on-One Showdowns
science7 months ago

Left-Handedness Linked to Competitive Edge in One-on-One Showdowns

Italian researchers find left-handed people, especially men, display greater competitiveness (including hypercompetitiveness) in one-on-one contexts, aligning with an evolutionarily stable strategy; dexterity tests didn’t predict competitiveness, and general personality traits were similar across handedness, with men more competitive and women more avoidance-prone.

Tracking 'Feel Sexy' in Books Reveals a Gendered Language of Desire
psychology7 months ago

Tracking 'Feel Sexy' in Books Reveals a Gendered Language of Desire

A study using the Google Books Ngram Viewer across 1800–2022 shows that the phrase 'feel sexy' is overwhelmingly used to describe women in published books, with 89% of qualifying phrases referencing female subjects. Variants like 'her feel sexy' and 'she felt sexy' are most common, and female versions appear about ten times more often than male ones, a trend that began in the late 1970s and accelerated after the 1990s, driven largely by heterosexual romance novels. The researchers link this to gendered sexual scripting and the concept of object of desire self-consciousness, while cautioning that books are just one communication channel and that future work should examine other media and languages and whether such language affects readers' mood or arousal.