Summery myth 6

Women talk too much

Proverbs and sayings in many languages express the view that women are always talking, but this isn’t true. Most of the available evidence suggest the opposite. When women and men are together, it is the man who talk most. In 63 studies done by two Canadian researchers, women only talks more in two studies. It just depends on the circumstances if women talk more or not. Men talk more in formal, public contexts where informative and persuasive talk is highly values. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to contribute in informal interactions, where talk more often functions to maintain relationships, and in other situations where for various reasons they feel socially confident.