Remembering Appearances
Y: Don, Who do you think is better at remembering details of people’s appearances, women or men?
D: Women, hands down, Yael. You women are so judgemental about appearences, you pick on the tiniest details of a person's clothing, or hair, or whatever, details a man would not notice in a million years.
Y: I don't know about that. Women are indeed more skilled than men at remembering details of people’s appearances. In fact, when it comes to interpersonal sensitivity, women surpass men in a variety of skills. For instance, women are also superior in using nonverbal details to read people’s personality characteristics.
D: Doesn't it sound like much to boast about if you ask me. Women can have their interpersonal sensitivity.
Y: We all rely on such details in our interactions with other people, Don, not just women. Sensitivity to details of appearance enables a person to interact with others more effectively and wisely. Perhaps what is most surprising is that there isn’t much of a gap between how well men and women remember details of appearance. Women are only slightly better at this than men. Want to venture to guess which sex’s appearance both men and women are better at remembering?
D: My guess is women, again. Men pretty much dress themselves the same, compared to women.
Y: You got it. Men and women both are better at remembering the appearances of women than of men. And psychologists make the same hypothesis that the diversity of women’s fashion makes women’s appearances more distinguishable and thus more memorable than men’s appearances. Looks like you’re more observant of appearances than you think. |