With The Same Injury, Women’s Pain Viewed As Less Severe Than Men’s
The University of Miami has found that there is a gender bias when it comes to pain. In fact, it’s better to be in pain if you’re male. According to DailyMail.Co.Uk, when patients were observed in the exact same amount of pain, female patients were viewed as having more mild symptoms. Females were also seen as more likely to benefit from psychotherapy than medicine.
Both male and female observes were guilty of finding male pain to be more severe. The leader of the study, Elizabeth Losin believes their findings play into the stereotype that women are more expressive than men. Based off that fact alone, many observes may discount the severity of a female’s pain level.
We stereotype men the opposite way. Since we see them as less expressive, when they show strong emotions towards the pain they’re feeling we assume it must be worse. Clearly the idea that either will be more dramatic based solely off their gender is incorrect.
