We can count on science to show us the facts when it comes to breaking down our biology and how it affects us in everyday life. So when it comes to determining who is more generous when it comes to women and men, we rely solely on the data. While stereotypes exist when it comes to who makes the money or wears the pants (we won’t get into that), studies have actually been done to show who gives more in a relationship. It turns out, it’s actually the female. Why, do you ask? It has to do a lot with the way our brains find that particular behavior more rewarding. Or, could it be the social norms we in Western society are conditioned to? We decided to do a little research to find out exactly what makes us more giver than the receiver. Keep reading for more on that below!
Why Women’s Brains Are Naturally More Generous Than Men
Women are more likely to share with you than a man would because of our biology. Our brains find this behavior super rewarding, along with other prosocial behaviors. We’ll give you our jacket, the dollar in our purse, and even donate more to charities. According to Insider, women’s reward centers lit up way more than men’s did in a study published in Nature Human Behavior. They conducted a study where participants (both male and female) were given a drug that inhibits the brain’s reward system called Amisulpride. They then monitored an area of the brain called the striatum, which lights up when you make decisions. In men, it lit up when they were selfish. In women, it was when they were engaging in prosocial behavior or sharing.
Because of this, the scientists in this study declared that it would absolutely be incorrect to derive all meaning from an evolutionary standpoint. They deduced that it definitely had to fit with how gender. Also how gender stereotypes were taught and conceived in Western societies. While the latter is a better explanation, they can’t for sure pinpoint what exactly happens. It might just be a mix of both or just one or the other. What is true is that we can rewire these parts of ourselves. Maybe begin to teach these things from a young age. Then, just maybe, we’ll be able to have a more giving society.
