Should We Give Men a Female Brain Experience?

Imagine a researcher putting forth this research proposal.  What happens to men if we give them the same hormone that activates the empathy feelings in women?  Imagine if it really worked!

Women would be happy that men can empathize with them and men would be happy that women had one less thing to be upset with them about.

A study in the Journal of Neuroscience reports testing men to determine if their empathy increases when given a nasal spray dose of the female hormone, oxytocin.

Oxytocin is primarily a female brain neurotransmitter. It is what stimulates labor, breastfeeding, orgasm, social recognition, mother-child bonding and other maternal behaviors as well as reducing anxiety and increasing feelings of love and trust.  That’s one powerful hormone working on our behalf.

Prior to being given oxytocin, 48 men and 26 women were tested on three types of empathy ability:

1. ability to recognize emotions from social cues.
2. rating personal emotional response to a series of photographs
3. identify the emotion of the character in the photographs

Men were proficient in being able to identify the emotions of others but were surpassed by women on all three empathy abilities.

After being given the nasal spray dosage of oxytocin, the men did demonstrate increased empathy skills in the three areas.  However, their level was no greater when compared to women who had never received the oxytocin nasal spray. Unfortunately, the effects were also short-lived.  Within two hours the men returned to their natural state.

There could be value in letting men have a female brain experience, where empathy is concerned. It definitely could reduce some of the tension and misunderstandings that can arise out of male and female differences.

A version of the nasal spray is already on the market and its being promoted for enhancing trust and reducing social anxiety.  I’m sure it will catch on soon and bypass Viagra sales.

Just image, men will want it so women will fall madly in love with them for being so understanding.

Women will want it to use every time they hit a brick wall of understanding with the men in their life.

I see it now.  Out of her handbag comes the trusty nasal spray and she says “… here take a couple of sniffs of this and then you’ll really know how I feel.”

By Joyce Hansen