Why Women Worry So Much

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Andrea Thompson

LiveScience Staff Writer

Scientists have known that on the whole, females of all ages tend to worry more and have more intense worries than males. Women also tend to perceive more risk in situations and grow more anxious than men.

Now we know why.

Women are more likely than men to believe that past experiences accurately forecast the future, according to two new studies.

The research, involving both 3- to 6-year-olds and adults of both genders, tested the extent to which participants' thought that worry can be caused by thinking that a bad event that happened in the past could happen again in the future. (This skill, in its simplest form, is critical to social understanding as it is important to making decisions and assessing risk.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/200709...omenworrysomuch

[LuzyC 0]

I dunno' with other women but I am myself a big worry wart! I dont know why I am like that....

[PlatyPius 5]

Women worry too much. Men, sometimes not enough. Each is frustrating as hell to the other.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I dunno' with other women but I am myself a big worry wart! I dont know why I am like that....

I thought I worried too much until I met Jinky. We're both anxious sometimes and we drive each other nuts.

[Caladan 19]

Women worry too much. Men, sometimes not enough. Each is frustrating as hell to the other.

In our case it works out pretty well. I tend towards the forecasting/worry end of the spectrum, C. to the other end, so between the two of us we end up with a reasonable handle on things.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Women worry too much. Men, sometimes not enough. Each is frustrating as hell to the other.

In our case it works out pretty well. I tend towards the forecasting/worry end of the spectrum, C. to the other end, so between the two of us we end up with a reasonable handle on things.

I've seen it go bad in situations like that...usually 'someone' gets hysterical over why the other is so calm when they are so worried.

[DeadPoolX 9]

I don't know if it's entirely accurate to say "women worry more than men." Sure, some do, but then again, I'll bet that some men actually worry more than other women. In actual practice, I don't think it's so much who worries more, but what men and women worry about and how they were socialized that's the real difference.

In general, females are coddled more than their male counterparts. For instance, it's "okay" for a girl to cry; if a boy cries, he needs to "toughen up and act like a man." So I think what men and women worry about has more to do with how we're socialized than biological processes. After all, with the exception of a few key components, men and women aren't really all they different from each other in physiology. So I don't see a reason why women would naturally be more prone to worry over men.

The only case in which I could understand a woman being more worried than man, due to a physiological condition, is when she is pregnant. Her speed, agility and overall mobility eventually becomes dramatically reduced as the pregnancy develops and this can leave the woman feeling somewhat vulnerable. She has good reason to worry in this situation, as she probably couldn't outrun or fight off an attacker while pregnant (at least in the middle-to-late stages).

I really do believe that women are, indirectly, socialized to "worry more" in our society than men. It's probably considered a "good" trait for a female, really. If you think about, who tends to do the majority of child raising -- both now and in the past? It's the mom and therefore, being socialized to worry would in turn make her more concerned about her children. This isn't to say that fathers don't raise children or aren't concerned about their kids either, but on average, which parent watches the kids the most? Which parent usually gets called to the school nurse when the kid is ill? Which parent is handling most of the day-to-day childcare needs? The majority of the time, it's the mother.

As for "what" women worry about... well, that one's a little more difficult. It heavily depends on the person, but off-hand, I'd say women usually care more about familial and other social relationships first and foremost. If something is wrong with a family member or friend, the woman will probably worry (at least somewhat) about that person. Contrast that with a man for a moment. While he will worry about a family member (and probably a friend too, if the friend is very close), he usually won't show his worry as overtly. Men have also traditionally been worried about finances, since they were always the ones to "bring home the bacon." Today, of course, many homes are two-income households, but that doesn't stop a lot of men from still worrying about money issues and putting a lot of pride (and their self-worth) into how much their earn and what they have in the bank.

I just want to make it abundantly clear that what I wrote above is how things tend to work "in general." That does not mean that everyone is like that. I'm am well aware that everybody is different and I'm sure there are many exceptions to the "classic" man and woman configuration.

Anyway... I just think we -- as a society -- notice what women worry about more because as a gender, women are usually more vocal about what's on their mind. So if something is bothering or worrying a woman, she is far more likely to speak up than a man in the same situation.

[almaty 19]

sanita worries for the two of us..

[Jasman0717 9]

Evidently this doesn't apply to Claudeth

[sarah and hicham 3]

It's not that we worry more, it's that we CARE more than men.

[JVKn'CVO 11]

Guilty!

Caro

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It's not that we worry more, it's that we CARE more than men.

You must know my mom.

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

It's not that we worry more, it's that we CARE more than men.

we're supposed to care?

[KarenCee 3]

It's not that we worry more, it's that we CARE more than men.

we're supposed to care?

What, you didn't read the handbook?

[PlatyPius 5]

It's not that we worry more, it's that we CARE more than men.

we're supposed to care?

What, you didn't read the handbook?

OH!!!! When I saw "Hand Book", I threw it away, since I assumed I didn't need any more instruction about THAT.....