A scientific study confirms that women assault their congeners with subtle but lethal tactics . Experts explain why they can become their own worst enemies .
All at some point in their lives have done : look up in disapproval , put Roll gossip or invent nicknames to disqualify another woman. Three decades ago , scientists approached the issue of competition between women claimed it was an anecdotal , intuitive without scientific support issue.
But recent studies have given indications that it is a real phenomenon that deserves attention by the emotional impact on the victims. Last week a new study, published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, once again confirmed this practice , which contradicts to preach on tight sisterhood .
The harsh reality is that women can become their own worst enemies themselves. Unlike men , who fists and insults will live underground and they do it subtly. This is called indirect aggression and its most important feature is hurtful without trace. Indeed , if caught they deny with phrases like " Me? , Never ," or " a joke " .
For the study Tracy Vaillancourt and Aanchal Sharma , psychologists at the University of Ottawa, recruited two groups of women between 20 and 25 years in a classroom of this school and told them it was an experiment about friendship. Each group was interrupted during the meeting by a young , beautiful and shapely woman. The only differed clothing. One was in jeans and t-shirt while the other wore a miniskirt and a blouse that showed off some of their attributes.
The reaction of women in both groups was opposite . The first accepted women dressed conservatively but the latter reacted with hostility to the wearing provocative attire. The researchers noticed that the others were uncomfortable at his presence, looked up and down and gestured disapprovingly. When he left many mocked her and even suggested that he wanted to sleep with the teacher.
To confirm the findings made another test, this time with pictures. In both pretty woman appears suggestive pint but one of the images was digitally altered to make her look fatter . In this experiment the participants rejected any possibility of being friends with her present to her boyfriend let alone leave him alone .
The two experiments demonstrate for the first time that "the use of indirect aggression is widespread and easy to provoke," said Vaillancourt Semana . It is an instinctive but conscious strategy that women use often to eliminate a possible rival. The study is important because this type of attack causes damage to the victim.
" It generates anxiety, depression and suicide risk ," she added. Furthermore, it is a problem that goes unnoticed " because it happens in the social field and not in class, but is very deadly because women know where the other is that it hurts more," says María Elena López , author ofEnough ! The bullying can be stopped .
The competition between the same gender is given throughout life from pre-school to old age , but is most intense between 11 and 25 years , when they are in the game of conquest. Of course, to the extent that women have postponed when someone set this range has expanded.
"Where there is no competition female indirect aggression ," says the researcher, who has no doubt that these incidents also occur in the workplace. And when you have already established with their respective partners becomes contention over who has the best children .
In the case of competition for men , women use various forms of indirect aggression such as defamation , what some experts call the prostitute factor . " The disapproval and punish calling easy and promiscuous " he says. But in this cold war is worth all reject, ignore , belittle and criticize their faults.
In fact , other studies show that women tend to form alliances that seek to exclude others. Also isolate newcomers or you make friends with the enemy for revenge. Mariana , 25 , tall and striking , newly arrived in Bogotá , said that always upsets the brides of his friends. "They are not nice to me , I do not include in their groups WhatsApp, never call me by my name and not invite me to their plans," he admits.
The findings confirm that older Vaillencourt regulators of female sexual behavior are women themselves. Psychologist Roy Baumeister has investigated the issue of why sexual desire seems more suppressed in females . You might think that men are responsible for establishing these cultural norms to prevent their partners are unfaithful .
But in his Baumeister study concludes that it is they who control the sexuality of their peers " because sex is limited to women use to negotiate with men , and that gives them an advantage scarce resource."
It is as if in a competitive market, a job applicant is allowed to hire for less pay than others aspire . If sold easily damages the price of the group . In that sense, " women who want casual sex hurt those goals who want long-term relationships ," said Anne Campbell, author of The Evolution of Desire .
When women perceive others as easily attack them because of this type send signals to men that it is not necessary for there commitment of other 'free' way available. The contempt of his fellows , then, is a way to undermine the reputation of these supposedly libertine females .
The reason why women prefer to speak ill of his opponents behind instead of behaving as Gamecocks answered evolutionary processes. On the one hand Vaillancourt explains that culturally women do not learn to use physical violence. But besides this behavior is anchored in evolutionary roots .
"Women need to stay healthy for their children to survive. Engaging in physical violent behavior would put them at risk of dying and therefore also their offspring . "
Although the focus of this research are women , Vaillancourt says men often also engage in such behavior . What happens is that they do more directly and choose to insult by the topic that hurts , money and status , which are also the elements that women value in them.
Vaillancourt expected to discuss this issue make women more aware because although it is an ingrained behavior, is likely to be controlled . This is a thorny issue and this research has already raised blister. The email inbox is full of messages Vaillancourt women who reject this idea. " You should be a man ", "you must be very ugly ", " you're a slut." She laughs because to try to discredit and belittle his work , which was able to confirm their findings ..
