Posted on 02/21/2013 3:45:13 PM PST by null and void
There's a biological explanation for the reason why women talk more than men. Scientists have discovered a protein that's found in higher concentrations in the brains of women.
You know all the times that men complain about women talking too much? Apparently there's a biological explanation for the reason why women are chattier than men. Scientists have discovered that women possess higher levels of a "language protein" in their brains, which could explain why females are so talkative.
Previous research has shown that women talk almost three times as much as men. In fact, an average woman notches up 20,000 words in a day, which is about 13,000 more than the average man. In addition, women generally speak more quickly and devote more brainpower to speaking. Yet before now, researchers haven't been able to biologically explain why this is the case.
Now, they can. New findings conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and published in The Journal of Neuroscience show that a certain protein may be the culprit.
In 2001, a gene called FOXP2 appeared to be essential for the production of speech. In order to test this protein, the team, led by J. Michael Bowers and Margaret McCarthy, looked at young rat pups. These animals emit cries in the ultrasonic range when separated from their mothers. The team recorded the cries over five minutes in groups of 4-day-old male and female rats that had been separated from their mothers. They found that male pups had up to twice as much of the protein FOXP2 in regions of the brain known to be involved in vocalization--perhaps an unsurprising finding since researchers noted that males made twice as many cries as females.
Next, the researchers wanted to test their findings in humans. They conducted a small study on human children aged four to five years who had died in accidents less than 24 hours previously. They then analyzed the amount of FOXP2 protein in the brains of these children. In the end, the researchers found 30 percent more FOXP2 protein in the brains of the girls.
The research shows that the protein, FOXP2, is a key molecule for communication in mammals. In fact, it could allow researchers to better understand other species that may or may not possess the protein, such as Neanderthals. With this new biological link, scientists could potentially trace back the evolutionary origin of speech.
does anyone know how to remove / limit the protein?
or maybe women are just bigmouths to begin with.
sheesh :-)
test post only.
I haven’t spoken to my wife in over three months.
We’re not fighting, I just don’t like to interrupt.
The (male) lecturer on my “Communication Skills” recordings says it’s not true that women talk more than men. He said that this is presented as a truism, often with statistics, but the stats are simply made up. He referenced ONE study that actually recorded a variety of men and women over a period of time. The difference between the sexes was insignificant, and both the study subject who spoke the least and the one who spoke the most were men.
Therefore, any study that starts with the premise that women talk more than men is simply bosh.
Hm, I wonder if there would be any impact in language-learning if you were to take supplements of this protein.
Since I value my head continuing in its present location (no, it’s not up you-know-where!) I will refrain from mentioning this study to my wife.
“The only way to fight a woman is with your hat. Grab it and run!”
;^)
Known since the dawn of time. Female dogs, bitches, bark more as well.
A husband, trying to convice his wife that women talk too much, tells his wife that he’d recently heard that women use twice as many words as men each day.
His wife pondered his comments for a moment, and then concluded, “That’s because women have to repeat everything they say to their husbands.”
The husband looked up and asked, “Come again?”
you’re post had way too many words.....
“I wonder if there would be any impact in language-learning if you were to take supplements of this protein.”
Oblahblah has a surplus of this protein in his girly-man brain.
Parrots...
Okay.
This study is wrong.
All the male specimens in my area just love love love to talk talk talk. And they love to talk about themselves. They love to hear themselves talk. In a conversation (if you can call it that) I’d be lucky if I could speak a dozen words. I often take on the role of the wife in Fawlty Towers who says “I know, I know” when she’s on the phone.
One dude complains that his girl friend talks too much. I wonder when does she ever get a chance to speak! He’s always yakking.
Women interact with the world vocally.
Men with their hands.
A Japanese company has developed an SLR camera whose shutter speed is SO fast that it can actually take a photograph of a woman with her mouth closed! :-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.