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Monday, June 19, 2017

The Feminine Differential - Spotty Science

There is much to be studied in human physiology. I love to contrast the gender differences. The gender differential I call it. The differences run historically deep. 

Here is one differential that goes back into our early human development - hunting and gathering.

The male developed into the hunter because of greater size and stamina; critical traits need for the hunt - strength to subdue. The mission would be finding, stalking, killing and bring prey back to share. The females would provide through the gathering process, which would require determining if something was eatable. If the hunt did not go well, there was a backup plan. 

Today there is no need to hunt our food however, this basic instincts has survived. We need look no further than the mall to see it in play. If a man needs something at the mall it is a hunting process. Get in, find it, purchase (kill it), get out. The gathering instinct explains why women can spend hours looking for just the right shoe, or skirt to go with a top you already have.   


Which are you a hunter or a gatherer?


Here is one more:  I love polka dots and colorful floral patterns. That is one glaring feminine preference that I enjoy. Whether it be a polka dot skirt, or spring floral dress I am drawn to it. 

Take a look at the two holiday boxes. Which one would you assume to be the female gift?  There is a whole book that deals with marketing strategies aimed at the feminine differential entitled "Why Men Like Straight Lines and Women Like Polka Dots?"   


Here is  a snippet from the above mentioned book by Gloria Moss: 

Studies have shown that men use little embellishment when making art. Woman prefer to produce round shapes with lots color that display an attention to detail. Storefront displays and the elaborate packaging in cosmetics proves this point well. Men apparently have better visual rotation skills and targeting accuracy. There's a physical basis for the difference. Men's eyes are 5 mm farther apart than women's. To compensate visually, though it's unproven, 50 percent of women may have a fourth color pigment to men’s three. This gives ladies graphical access to more than a million other colors that men can't see.

These visual differences link directly back to the hunter/gatherer roles of humans in the early days. Men had to adapt to hunting and their 3-D vision, coupled with a more limited color spectrum aided in seeing through camouflage guaranteed more accurate targeting. Women, on the other hand, needed to see color in greater detail for their equally important task of discerning edible berries and other food from poisonous varieties.

It sounds so simplistic (and, arguably, silly) but that is it. The modern ramifications goes back again to shopping; the modern equivalent of gathering. Marketers entice females with products designed to grab their attention and spark the evolutionary preference for pattern/colors and a preference for round shapes. Straight lines or polka dots; that's what men and women come down to. 

Don't laugh unless you have a better explanation.    

Did I mention before - I love Polka Dots.  

2 comments:

  1. "Did I mention before - I love Polka Dots."

    Yes, Rhonda, I gathered that! ;-) Me too, by the way.

    ReplyDelete