Thaindian News

Washington, June 5 (IANS) Stress causes men and women to respond differently to risky decision making, says a study.

For instance, men charge ahead for small rewards and women take their time. Under stress, men and women also have different brain activation patterns during decision making.

There might be advantages to both stress responses, involving short-term gain and long-term benefits, such as the stock market, health decisions or retirement planning, according to Nichole Lighthall, who led the study.

Stress caused men and women to take decisions differently, but when stress was absent, their behaviour and brain activation was much more similar, said Lighthall, a University of Southern California doctoral student.

Men and women faced with tough decisions might improve their communication by waiting until a stressful situation has passed, Lighthall said, reports the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

“Men and women appear to think more similarly when they are not stressed,” Lighthall said. “You should be aware of the way you are biased in your decisions.”

After being subjected to stress, men appeared to be more motivated to act quickly while women would slow down, Lighthall said, adding: “It appears women do not feel the drive to get a reward as much under stress.”

Participants were given a task of filling up a computer-simulated balloon with as much air as possible without popping the balloon.

Subjects earned from $4 to $45 based on their performance, with the men earning much more cash under stress.

Lighthall said that although men performed this task better, the more important conclusion may be that decisions made under stress should include input from both genders.