J.R. Johnson

The study referred to in the following quote struck me as interesting, not just because I tend to be curious about gender differences (or not), but also because of the results’ potential implications for storytelling:

…the impulse to sympathize with a fictional character seems to be triggered in different ways for males and females.

At least, that’s the conclusion of a new study by psychologists Thalia Goldstein and Ellen Winner, which tracked reactions to Leonard Bernstein’s musical theater masterpiece [West Side Story]. It found men tend to sympathize with the people on stage only if they are personally moved by their plight.

For women, merely perceiving a character is in pain is sufficient to elicit feelings of compassion.

via Why She Cries at Movies, While He Snores.

So. Writing with the average male audience in mind and trying to generate empathy? Just stabbing your character in the leg may not be enough:)