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Posted on 09/24/2026 2:10:40 PM PDT by aimhigh
A widely held belief that women have more emotional intelligence than men does not hold up under scrutiny, according to a large study of research spanning three decades.
The analysis combined 1,279 academic papers and data from 609,278 people in 76 countries. It found that women score higher, on average, at recognising and understanding emotions. But when it comes to regulating emotions, the picture shifts: men and boys tend to score higher on tasks that involve managing their own feelings, while women score higher on tasks that involve managing other people’s. The results also depend on how emotional intelligence is measured. Women’s advantage is larger on performance-based tests, where people complete tasks that are scored for accuracy. It is smaller on self-report surveys, where people rate their own ability.
The study was led by Dr Mary Hausfeld of the University of Limerick, with Vera Hampel and Leon Bach of the University of Zurich, and Jochen Menges, a professor of leadership at Cambridge Judge Business School and the University of Zurich. It is published in the journal Emotion. “Women are emotionally intelligent. Men think they are,” said Menges. “On performance-based tests, women's advantage is substantial. On self-reports, it almost disappears. Self-perception and demonstrated ability are not the same thing.”
He said the researchers could not determine why the gap exists. “Men may overestimate their abilities, women may underestimate theirs, or both may be happening. Either way, confidence and competence are not the same, and organisations should not confuse them.”
Four separate skills
The researchers say that emotional intelligence should not be treated as one quality. They split it into recognition, understanding and regulation of emotions: in oneself and in others. “Common assumptions about women and men’s emotional abilities are often too broad,” said Hausfeld. “The evidence points to a picture in which differences depend on the skill being examined and the context in which it is measured.”
“Women show an advantage in recognising and understanding emotions, and in regulating other people's emotions,” said Menges. “For managing their own emotions, the pattern reverses slightly, and men score higher. That matters, because being expected to manage other people’s feelings is not the same as being better equipped to manage your own.”
A narrowing gap
Because the data covers nearly 30 years, the researchers were able to track change over time. They found that gender differences in overall emotional intelligence have narrowed in recent years, a shift most pronounced among children. “That pattern is consistent with changing socialisation and gender norms, but it doesn’t establish the cause,” said Menges. “Age, generation and time period cannot be separated in this data, and biological explanations cannot be ruled out.”
Why it matters at work
High emotional intelligence has been linked to job performance and stress management, and to relationships at work through communication and conflict management, according to studies included in the analysis. The researchers say the assumption that women have greater emotional intelligence — repeated in business publications — carries risk if left unexamined. Treating it as settled fact, they say, can lead employers to hand women a disproportionate share of emotional labour at work.
“Persistent assumptions that women naturally possess greater emotional intelligence create two risks,” Menges said. “Real differences may be dismissed as unscientific. At the same time, broad claims can reinforce stereotypes and push emotional work onto women.”
The study also found gender differences in emotion recognition were larger among leaders than non-leaders, and — against the researchers’ expectations — smaller in male-dominated industries than in other sectors. Differences were largest in North and Central America and Europe compared with the rest of the world.
Advice for managers
The researchers say small differences should not be dismissed as unimportant, since they can accumulate through everyday decisions and produce gaps in outcomes such as promotion. Menges said organisations should stop treating emotional intelligence as a feminine trait. “Treat it as a set of skills. Use validated performance-based measures where they exist, rather than relying on self-reports. Develop these abilities in everyone, and don’t let emotional work aimed at others become women's responsibility by default.”
The researchers conclude that asking whether women or men have more emotional intelligence is ‘too simple’. “The better questions are: which ability, measured how, directed at whom, in what context?” said Menges. “That's the direction the science is taking, and I’d advise organisations to do the same.”
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Who are the greatest artists? Men. I rest my case.
Agreed.
True.
Wussifacation.
.
I get It.
“Emotional intelligence” is an oxymoron, most likely coined by a woman or a not-so-intelligent man.
Which is a lie.
Bill Clinton. Donald Trump.
They are masters at "manipulation".
I believe most men are highly “emotionally intelligent”. I believe that men are much more able to control those emotions and disregard them as needed, than women are.
On a whole, generalizing of course. I have also known some VERY emotional men, who would crack for a variety of reasons. No one liked working with them.
Whoever learns to keep their mouth shut usually has a better time at it.
I am always amazed at how incapable of managing their emotions many women seem to be. And it appears to be a point of pride. They are so “authentic”. They are so “in touch with their feelings”. They are “sensitive”. That’s why they cry and scream and make life miserable for those around them — constantly thrusting their own personal burden onto others and demanding “fix this!”. It’s their deep emotional intelligence which makes this all possible.
i think they meant to say baggage, not intelligence.
Emotional intelligence has not stood the test of time as a valid construct anyway. It came from a pop psych book many years ago, sounded good, and entered the public discourse as if it were real. This study shows men are more emotionally stable, women more likely to be manipulative. What a surprise. And no need to invent and interject “emotional intelligence” into the findings at all..
My dog has far more “emotional intelligence” than most people I know.
So the title says women aren’t really better at EI, then the author says women definitely are better, and men just think they are?
The article greatly contradicts itself.
Correct.
Men, just tell your women to calm down when they get all worked up. It works every time. </duckandcover>
Emotional intelligence.
Their brain shifts to trying to get along with the imaginary friends on social media and away from real people in real life.
Back in the ‘60s and 70’s “emotional intelligence” was considered manipulation.
I got fairly good at it. As recently as yesterday, my neighbor Mary, told me that the new guy, Mark, let his dog run around without a leash and poop on the lawn. They called the property manager but she ever did anything about it. Mark called them f’ing c’nts for doing that.
I ran into Mark yesterday. Dog was on leash. “Mark, I haven’t seen you for so long, I thought you moved.. Good to see you. “
Big smile from Mark.
“my cat Daisy just turned 9, a senior citizen. She likes to go out in the yard, but I’m afraid she’d get hurt if your dog chases her.”
“I know she goes out, I’ve seen her sitting right over there.”
“Blackie (cat) sits there too. They’re friends.”
My dog won’t go over there, I’ll keep her on hier leash.”
BTW, his dog is a huge bulldog, happiest dog I’ve ever seen, literally smiles all the time. Her name is Ginger and she answers to it—in ordinary circumstances.
I don’t really give a hoot whether this is manipulation or emotional intelligence. If it keeps my kitty safe, I’m happy.
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