Emotional Intelligence Runs Deeper Than Gender Stereotypes, New Study Finds

Hyderabad: Being emotional and being rational are still frequently treated as two different things, often assigned to women and men respectively.

The familiar distinction surfaced recently when actor Rashmika Mandanna described herself as “all heart” and her husband as “the thinker.”

But a new international study examining nearly 1,280 research papers suggests emotional intelligence is more complicated than such descriptions allow.

Women generally performed better at understanding others' emotions, while men showed a slight advantage in managing their own.

Experts and Hyderabad residents, however, question how much these differences have to do with upbringing, social expectations and individual experiences.

"Women grow up having to be aware of the people around them.

Sometimes, recognising a change in someone's mood is a matter of safety, so I wonder how much of what we call emotional intelligence is actually the ability to sense a possible threat," said Ritu Roy, a working professional in the city.

The study, published in the American Psychological Association's journal Emotion on September 17, examined 1,279 research articles comprising 1,428 samples and 6,09,278 participants from 76 countries.

Researchers found that gender differences varied according to the emotional ability being assessed and how it was measured.

Women's advantage was considerably greater in tests where participants demonstrated their abilities than in surveys where they rated themselves.

The difference almost disappeared in self-assessments.

"A person may recognise another person's sadness or anxiety and offer excellent support but struggle to manage their own anger.

Recognising emotions is the first step; managing them constructively requires additional skills," said Dr Vishal Akula, professor and head of psychiatry at the Government Medical College, Nizamabad.

The slight advantage recorded among men in regulating their own emotions also needs careful interpretation.

Psychologist James Gross, in a 2002 review in Psychophysiology, found that suppressing emotional expression could reduce visible reactions without reducing the underlying feeling, while reinterpreting a situation could reduce both.

“A person who feels angry but understands the cause and responds calmly is regulating an emotion.

Someone who continually hides anger without addressing its cause may be suppressing it.

Appearing calm does not necessarily mean a person is coping well internally," Dr Akula said.

The international study also found that gender differences in recognising and regulating emotions were smaller in male-dominated industries.

"I don't think emotional intelligence should be approached as a man-versus-woman issue.

We have traditionally been told that men are not emotionally intelligent, but I don't necessarily find that to be true.

I have seen men handle emotional situations better than women because of the upbringing they have had," said Patruni Chidananda Sastry, a non-binary performer and LGBTQIA+ activist.

Sastry also pointed to class, social surroundings and individual experiences.

"People automatically assume that every emotional problem in their lives will be sorted out by a woman.

There's a dependency that we are creating... I think we need to raise kids in a way that they're emotionally intelligent," Sastry said.

India's 2024 Time Use Survey found a similar imbalance in unpaid caregiving.

Among those aged 15 to 59, 41 per cent of women participated in caregiving for household members, compared with 21.4 per cent of men.

"Women may face additional emotional demands when they are expected to care for family members, resolve conflicts, provide reassurance and maintain relationships, alongside their professional responsibilities," Dr Akula said.

The distinction between being “all heart” and “the thinker” becomes less convincing when considered alongside what people learn growing up.

“Emotional intelligence is something people can develop.

A lot depends on what we've learnt growing up and what we're willing to unlearn,” Roy said.