Men Feel Like Failures When Women Succeed, Says New Study
Men are inclined to want their female partners to fail says a new study; they are also inclined to lie about it.
During a recent series of studies researchers discovered that women did not think any less of themselves if their male partners succeeded at something that they may not have. Men, however, felt worse about themselves if they believed that their female partners had done better.
In a study printed by the American Psychological Association, the first experiment involved 32 couples that were given a "problem solving and social intelligence" test. Once the test was completed, participants were told that their partner either scored in the top 12 percent or bottom 12 percent; their own score was not revealed to them. When asked how their partner's score made them feel, men appeared unbothered by a partner who scored high.
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But when men's subconscious feelings were assessed, researchers found that men whose partner's scored high, were more likely to associate themselves with negative words like "bad" or "dreadful." Women were not affected.
For Daily Mail writer Kate Mulvey, the research its not really surprising. At the age of 50 and with more than five languages mastered, she says she is still single because men "can't handle" a woman that is smarter than them.
"I'm convinced that the reason I'm still booking a table for one instead of settling down with a significant other is not because I'm a year off turning 50, but because men are so threatened by my intelligence," Mulvey wrote in a Mail Online article.
Other psychologists say that she may not be far off from the truth.
"A lot of men feel threatened if a woman outshines them," Professor Sandi Mann, psychologist and author of "Hiding What We Feel and Saying What We Don't Feel," told the U.K. publication. "It harks back to cavemen days, when men had to provide the resources. If a woman is too intelligent, a man subconsciously thinks she's taking over his role."
In the final two studies reported on in the APA, researchers also discovered that women were more likely to feel good about their relationship when their partner had succeeded. Men, however, did not, regardless if the achievements were social, intellectual, or personal.
