Study Shows Women Speak Less Around Men [Sex in the News]

By Leah

When you’re working on a group project are there certain people that you have trouble speaking up around? Think about the people you’re working with. Do you speak more when there’s more of your female peers working with you?

If that’s the case you’re not alone. Researchers from Princeton University and Brigham Young University found that women are less likely to speak up when outnumbered by men. They have found that women speak up to 75 percent less than their male counterparts. This is something that happens in collaborative group settings, when groups are working on a project and make a decision by majority rule.

The inequality disappeared when groups were asked to decide based on unanimous vote instead. The researchers from Princeton University and Brigham Young University found that women excelled in the consensus-building approach. Part of the problem with these findings is that in many settings where women are less represented (such as government), they are less likely to be viewed as influential in the group and more likely to feel their voice is not being heard.

What’s interesting about the study is that instead of suggesting women overcome this and learn to speak up more, the researchers suggest formal settings need to be examined to get women participating more. But, in the meantime (aka in less formal settings) our friends at Jezebel are suggesting it’s time to start speaking up more when you are outnumbered by men.

Leah graduated from Ryerson University with her Bachelor of Journalism. She’s currently interning at a design magazine in Toronto and spending her spare time baking tasty cupcakes. You can follow her @ElleandBee.

[lead image via forbes.com]