TOW #25: "Are Women Really More Talkative Than Men?" (Written)

                Groups of females talking together for extended periods is quite common, and these conversations are analyzed in the essay “Are Women Really More Talkative Than Men?” This essay, written by Matthias R. Mehl, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, tackles the question through a series of research projects. In his essay, Mehl uses quoting and statistics to convince fellow scientists that the stereotype outlined in the title of the essay is indeed unfounded.

                Mehl’s continual use of quoting throughout the essay establishes his credibility on the topic, and allows for him to introduce his own findings. For example, he quotes a study done by neuropsychiatrist Brizendine, stating, “‘A woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000’ (3)” (par. 2). Quoting of another scientists work first allows Mehl to introduce his topic through previous factual evidence. In this way, fellow scientists can understand what work has already been done in the field and how Mehl’s work fits in later. It also establishes Mehl’s credibility, since he is quoting other well-known scientists before presenting his own findings.

                Once scientists understand that Mehl is indeed credible, the apparent use of statistics throughout the essay draws them in and allows them to better understand the conclusions given. Mehl first includes the statistic about the previous scientist’s work, as well as a host of other statistics regarding other conclusions made in the field based on their research. This abundance of data and statistics about the topic of the essay show the audience just how much research has been done in the field, and also how inconclusive some of it is. In this way, Mehl’s fellow researchers around the world can understand why certain data does not make sense and how Mehl’s data specifically does lead to a satisfactory conclusion.

                Mehl finishes the essay by presenting his own findings and declaring the stereotype as “unfounded” (par. 7). Through the use of quoting and statistics, Mehl was able to convince readers of a disproved stereotype. It is really interesting to see scientific evidence rejecting a common misconception, which is all the more reason to believe Mehl’s findings. It is therefore important that society make changes to assess the scientific validity of stereotypes before claiming their factual nature.