Perception of Emotions & Gender
The perception of emotion, or the ability to recognize and interpret the emotions others are feeling is a crucial aspect of human interaction. However, research suggests that this ability is not uniform across individuals and is often influenced by biases (Lindquist & Gendron, 2013) Gender plays a significant role when perceiving emotions. Gendered stereotypes about emotion contribute to the way people perceive and express emotions, often reinforcing societal norms that dictate how different genders should behave and display emotions. Past research has demonstrated that people tend to believe men and women experience and express emotions differently. Women are generally perceived as more emotionally expressive, except for high-dominance emotions such as anger and pride. Men on the other hand tend to express those high dominance emotions but lack the emotional expression of sadness. These categorizations significantly affect how emotions are interpreted. People are more likely and used to perceive sadness in female faces and anger in male faces, even when the expressions on both gender’s faces are identical. Biases like this contribute to many societal issues, such as the invalidation of women’s anger and the suppression of men’s sadness. This invalidation and suppression are the cause of reinforcing traditional gender roles.
The way individuals perceive emotions is shaped by social expectations. A series of studies shows that people rate images of women as sad and less angry when compared with the images of men, showing the exact same emotion. This phenomenon is further supported by research indicating that individuals are quicker to recognize sadness in female faces and anger in male faces. These characteristics can be the result of deeply ingrained societal beliefs that frame men as dominant while portraying women as sensitive. (Plant, 2004)
Additionally, gender roles influence the way emotions are expressed. Women are often socialized to conform to feminine rules, which encourage them to amplify their emotional responses to align with societal expectations. (Fischer, 2004) Meanwhile, men are frequently conditioned to suppress their emotions, particularly those perceived as signs of vulnerability, such as sadness and fear.
Despite extensive research on emotion perception differences between men and women, there remains a significant gap in understanding how transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals fit into the discussion. Current emotion perception studies largely rely on stimulus sets composed of binary gender categories, which limits inclusivity in psychological research.
To address this gap, some recent studies have begun developing gender-diverse stimulus sets that better represent a spectrum of gender identities. Such research aims to explore how societal biases influence the perception of emotions in individuals who do not conform to traditional gender norms. Understanding how gender diversity impacts emotion perception can help challenge and reshape long-standing stereotypes that dictate how emotions should be expressed and interpreted. (Plant, 2004)
Anger
Anger is one of the basic human emotions, essential for survival and closely tied to the “fight, flight, or freeze” response. (Psychology Today, 2023) However, the way anger is perceived and expressed differs significantly based on gender. Historically, women’s anger has been dismissed or labelled as irrational, whereas men’s anger is often viewed as a justified response to external circumstances.
This discrepancy is particularly evident in film and media portrayals. The concept of “female rage” has gained attention in recent years, with some films challenging the stereotype that women should remain passive or composed in moments of distress. However, societal reactions to female anger often remain negative, reinforcing the idea that emotional expression should align with traditional gender roles.
Several studies have examined whether gender differences in emotion perception and expression are inherited or socially constructed. Research suggests that while women report experiencing more intense emotions than men, physiological measures often do not support these self-reports. (Cherwell, 2025)
For example, Brody & Hall (1993) found that women experience greater emotional expression overall, but this does not necessarily indicate that they experience stronger emotions internally. Similarly, Krauss, Chen, & Chawla (1996) noted that emotional expression does not always align with internal emotional states, suggesting that social and cultural norms play a significant role in shaping how emotions are displayed.
Additional studies using physiological measures such as electromyography (EMG) have found mixed results regarding gender differences. While some research indicates that women show greater activity in facial muscles related to emotional expression (Hubert & de Jong-Meyer, 1990; Kring & Gordon, 1998), other studies, such as Codispoti (2008), found no significant differences between men and women.
These inconsistencies highlight the complexity of studying emotional perception and expression and show that both biological and cultural factors play a role in shaping these norms.
Emotion Regulation
One possible explanation for the discrepancy between self-reported and physiological measures of emotion expression is emotion regulation. Studies have shown that individuals, particularly women, regulate their emotions based on social expectations. Women often rate emotional experiences as more intense but do not necessarily exhibit stronger physiological responses. This suggests that gender differences in emotional expression may be influenced more by societal norms and self-presentation than by inherent emotional differences.
Additionally, research shows that men and women exhibit similar physiological reactions to emotional stimuli. However, when asked to self-report their emotions, women tend to describe their experiences as more intense, likely due to learned gender roles that encourage emotional openness in women and emotional restraint in men when it comes to emotions like sadness and fear. (Gilligan, 1993)
The existing research on gender and emotion perception suggests that while men and women may express emotions differently, these differences are largely shaped by social and cultural factors rather than inherent biological disparities.
*This text was proofread for punctuation and spelling errors with the help of DeepL, ChatGPT 4o and Grammarly.
*This text is based on literature & topic recommendations from ChatGPT 4o and Gemini Pro 2.0. All content was verified by me for accuracy and relevance, and the text itself was created by me.
Literature:
Doyle CM, Gendron M, Lindquist KA. Language Is a Unique Context for Emotion Perception. Affect Sci. 2021 Jan 13;2(2):171-177. doi: 10.1007/s42761-020-00025-7. PMID: 36043171; PMCID: PMC9383028. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36043171/)
Fischer, Agneta & Rodriguez Mosquera, P. & van Vianen, Annelies & Manstead, Antony. (2004). Gender and Culture Differences in Emotion. Emotion (Washington, D.C.). 4. 87-94. 10.1037/1528-3542.4.1.87.
Gilligan, Carol. “In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development”. Harvard University Press, 1993
Plant, Ashby & Kling, Kristen & Smith, Ginny. (2004). The Influence of Gender and Social Role on the Interpretation of Facial Expressions. Sex Roles. 51. 187-196.
Psychological Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/anger#:~:text=Anger%2C%20like%20all%20emotions%2C%20should,skills%20to%20manage%20their%20emotions.
Cherwell
