Chrissy Scaglione Psychology 100H Critical Thinking of Gender Differences

November 18, 2013 Dr. Wadsworth

Many journalists, television hosts, and even some psychologists will make exaggerated assertions, or claim to have unearthed new secrets of the human psyche, in order to keep their viewers interest. The media has even employed scare tactic, in which events and worries are often blown way out of proportion to elicit a reaction from the viewer. These techniques rest on the notion that stories are only interesting (and therefore relevant) if they expose something surprising or groundbreaking. Relatively recently, certain authors have discussed the shocking nature of women to be aggressive, selfish and competitive, as if these qualities were only thought to be pertinent to men. Stereotypes such as girls like romantic comedies, while boys like action films have been reinforced in our society, and so people have come to distinguish men and women based on what they perceive to be distinct qualities and characteristics of the two. Carol Tavris, the author of Psychobabble and Biobunk, attempts to dispel any rumors and negative implications from the shocking claim that women and men feel the same emotions. The differences between the two genders seem to lie in how these universal human qualities are expressed by each. One guideline for critical thinking stands out in particular, as the author questions the reliability and critiques the works of other authors, on the topic of adolescent girls behavior. Tavris demonstrates the necessity to examine the evidence of a particular assertion before jumping on the bandwagon. For example, Tavris criticizes the method that author Phyllis Chesler uses to establish credibility, in her novel Womans Inhumanity to Woman, where she states that

she has reviewed hundreds, possibly thousands of studies that bear on the subject. This is an extremely vague statement that forces the reader to question Cheslers credibility, as it does not provide sufficient evidence to support any argument. Scientific evidence is not always necessary to uphold a claim, however, the scientific method is important to follow if one hopes to confirm or disconfirm a hypothesis. Tavris also criticizes other authors of the female-discovery genre for seeking out any evidence that is moderately relevant to a claim, yet does very little to actually support it. Authors with a hypothesis and a book contract can easily fall prey to confirmation bias, which is the tendency to seek out information that confirms ones own belies. Therefore, it is crucial for readers to carefully examine the evidence presented in any novel or study. The author appears to be wary of the psychology novels concerning female behavior and gender differences that find it so surprising for females to exhibit anger, hostility, and aggressiveness. Many authors and psychologists describe this as a hidden culture of female angst, upon discovering that girls can be just as mean as boys. Tavris, on the other hand, asserts that this is no shocking realization, but rather an exaggeration of apparent facts about human nature. I find Tavris to be most convincing based on her positions that female aggression is no new discovery, and that the media and other forms of popular psychology create gender distinctions when not always necessary. For example, women have a greater tendency to express anger verbally, rather than physically, but that does not mean that men dont engage in namecalling and other forms of verbal abuse as some other authors suggest. As a society, we encourage gender distinctions by pitting men and women against each other, and constantly try to determine which one is having more trouble than the other in a particular area. Perhaps the similarities between both genders wouldnt be as shocking if men and women were treated more as allies in society, rather than competitors.

The media has continued the divide between males and females, because stories of the similarities between the two genders are not as intriguing. Carol Tavris criticizes other psychologists and authors that have questionable credibility and dont provide their readers with the complete truth about behaviors for both genders. As humans, we all possess similar innate characteristics, but gender disparities tend to occur in how they are expressed. Scientists and authors shouldnt sacrifice quality and reliability for popular psychology, which is often primarily concerned with grabbing the audiences attention.