Les Jones: Study: Men Enjoy Bad Guys' Pain

January 19, 2006

True Crime > Study: Men Enjoy Bad Guys' Pain

From Yahoo News via Bruce at mAss Backwards.

Bill Clinton said he felt others' pain. But a new brain-scanning study suggests that when guys see a cheater get a mild electric shock, they don't feel his pain much at all. In fact, they rather enjoy it.
In contrast, women's brains showed they do empathize with the cheater's pain and don't get a kick out it.

It's not clear whether this difference in schadenfreude — enjoyment of another's misfortune — results from basic biology or sex roles learned during life, researchers say. But it could help explain why men have historically taken charge of punishing criminals and others who violate societal rules, said researcher Dr. Klaas Stephan.

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Comments

That's interesting. I wonder if men would show empathy for an innocent being shocked, and if women would show an equal level of empathy for innocent and cheaters when they were shocked.

Posted by: Bob K at January 19, 2006

That's pretty much exactly what the study found.

Posted by: Les Jones at January 19, 2006

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