Say What? By Christie

The truth is, women only speak 546 more words per day than men. This is the conclusion of an article printed today in the journal Science

After years of the popular idea (urban legend?) that women talk way more than men, two researchers from universities in Texas and Arizona conducted their own study and discovered that when they placed microphones on 396 college students for periods ranging from two to 10 days, and then sampled their conversations and calculated how many words they used in the course of a day that the score was:

Women, 16,215. Men, 15,669.

These two researchers, Matthias R. Mehl, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, and James W. Pennebaker, chairman of the psychology department at the University of Texas, seem to feel they’ve debunked the idea that women are more talkative than men. While they realize their study looked into one age group only, these scientists think that it will prove true across other age groups as well.

Oh-kay.

Anyone care to enlighten our buddies Matt and Jim about the nuances here? There's "talk" and then there's talk. I live with three males (husband and two sons). I know the kinds of conversations they have. “I call the last frozen burrito.” “Who ate all the Bagel Bites?” “Mom, where’d you put the peanut butter?” “Don’t I have any clean socks?”

I recently asked Son 1 about the college plans of his best friend, with whom he spends hours and hours. He looked at me blankly, even though that had been the topic of conversation around our home for months. I said, disbelieving, “Well, what do you talk about?” The Wii game they’re playing. Where they want to eat. If their favorite server (the older lady who gives them double servings for free) at Panda Express works on Wednesdays. Who’s going to win at their next Texas Hold ‘Em Night.

So, here’s what I want to say to my academic friends, Matt and Jim. Um, when we think “more” talking, we mean quality talking. Get it? On the 4^th I went to a party where the guest list was my husband’s classic rock ‘n roll band and their spouses. The guys jammed. Loudly. The women, who don’t all know each other that well, talked about boob jobs, educating our children, the difficulties in creating our own separate lives beyond motherhood (the hostess is participating in a relay swim at the end of the month between Catalina Island and Long Beach—open Pacific waters!). The guys were singing “dom dom dom, dom be doobie, dom dom dom, dom be doobie…” (“Come Go With Me,” the Del Vikings.) Well, you get the picture.

So, am I all wet? In your opinion do women get to the heart of the matter much more easily (and often?) than men? (Hey, and within only 546 more words a day!)