If you question any straight man if he is drawn to an intellectual woman, there are big possibilities that will respond "yes". If you inquire if he could manage a bond with someone brighter than him plausibly he also replies absolutely.
In reality, researchers at the University of Buffalo validated that men fancy the most brilliant women. These doctors devised two female profiles to see which men preferred. 105 volunteers were told that a theoretical classmate had passed an examination of math or language with excellent grades and that another had received a much inferior rate. When questioned who would they favor as a couple, men did not debate: the very bright woman. Except…
Smart, yes, but not further than me
These doctors went one step further: they asked the volunteers to perform a math test and the results were manipulated so that men could achieve better or worse rating than the woman sitting beside them.
Researchers appreciated that when the man has a higher score than women, they were more inclined to come out of his seat beside her and showed a passionate interest. However, when they obtained a lower score, they were less attracted and were less interested in asking an appointment or get their phone number. In addition, they walked away carelessly near the female partner.
Actually, it is not the first research that examines the attraction that men say they feel by female mentality. A previous study conducted at Columbia University was based on a series of speed dating. In these encounters, they revealed that the singles valued the intelligence of women with whom they were, but only to a limit. If the lady was more talented or aggressive than them, his interest in her decline noticeably.
Female intelligence damages the manly ego
Why do some men appear to have difficulties in dealing with brighter women? The explanation comes from the hand of a series of trials conducted at the University of Florida. These doctors worked with 896 men and women. The men were required to remember a point when their spouse have been more fortunate from their point of view intellectual or academic. Then they evaluated their self-esteem and appreciated that there had been a significant decline.
In another test, doctors subjected couples undergoing intelligence tests. Then they informed the men that their spouse was at 12% of the top scores. The funny thing was that even without telling yet what was their score, these men felt a decrease in self-esteem. However, women were not concerned by the results of their spouse. Why?
These doctors believe that there is a thoughtful and conscious response but rather a visceral reaction. Inadvertently, men do not concentrate on enjoying the success of his partner but they examine the issue from a different perspective, reflecting that it is they who have lost.
Plausibly this reasoning comes from the reality that many men still feel the need to preserve their status quo, to show a competent image. A need that comes from the cultural part that has traditionally attached to their gender, in which man is considered as provider and protector of women. Therefore, a more talented woman could pose an intimidation to his ego.
The dilemma is that this way of tackling the female success can take a toll on the relationship. In fact, in this research, it was observed as men took an emotional distance from their partners and were less cheerful about the eventuality of their relationship when they deemed their partner was smarter. Likewise, doctors appreciated that to rebuild the male self - esteem was sufficient to ask them about the failures of their spouse, which, interestingly, also made men trust more to sustain the relationship over time.
All is not lost: The answer is to concentrate on the emotional relationship
Despite these investigations, the fact is that men can feel great about themselves even if their partner overcome them from the cognitive point of view. The answer is to be able to converge on the emotional phase of the relationship. This was validated by research directed at the University of Toronto in which doctors quietly changed the method of manifesting the results.
This time, they informed the men that their partners had achieved better scores on tests of intelligence, but before evaluating the influence of this news, they urged them to talk concerning their relationship and love for one another. So appreciated that when the senses of connection are stimulated, the female intelligence halts to be intimidating because the man thinks his partner as a "team player".
Of course, this does not imply that every man is threatened by female capability. When a person is adequately positive and thinks he does not need to justify anything to others, they will not consider intimidated by the conditions of others, despite gender, on the contrast, he will know to take pleasure of the circumstances.
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