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Mrs_hart
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mrs_hart
Post Number: 175
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 10:11 am: | 
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This article is reprinted from:
Psychology, 22, 1-11, 1985.
Joseph, R. (1985) Competition Between Women.
Competition Between Women
Rhawn Joseph
Brain Research Laboratory.
Abstract
It was hypothesized that women attach considerable importance to the physical attractiveness and appeal of members of their own sex in a manner that is not paralleled in males. In addition, it was hypothesized that women compete among themselves in regards to attractiveness and seek to find faults with particularly attractive women, because attractive females are threatening to the self-image. Three experiments were performed with college undergraduate males and females. In experiments 1 and 2, one sentence cues, depicting attractive individuals looking at their same sex counterparts, were distributed to males and females. Although the cues were in all other respects ambiguous, a number of males wrote responses attacking attractive males who look at other men. Many females, however, responded by writing responses which emphasized jealousy, fear, envy, insecurity and mistrust. In a third experiment, female undergraduates were given a questionnaire based upon the competitive themes expressed in positive and negative responses made to the cues. The combined evidence indicated that a large number of females are highly critical of other women, particularly attractive ones, and are highly concerned about their own appearance in relation to other women.
"Appearances were enough, for the appearances won her popularity and that was all she wanted. She knew how to smile so that her dimples leaped, how to walk so that her skirts swayed entrancingly, how to look up into a man's face and then drop her eyes and bat her lids rapidly so that she seemed a-tremble with emotion. Scarlett was willing to appear demure, pliable and scatterbrained, if those were the qualities that attracted men. Just why men should be this way, she did not know. She knew even less about the minds of women, for they interested her less. She had never had a girl friend, and she never felt any lack on that account. To her, all women, including her two sisters, were natural enemies in pursuit of the same prey-man." --M. Mitchell
"Men are by nature indifferent to one another; but women are by nature enemies. The reason is no doubt that the odium figulinuum which with men does not go beyond the bounds of the particular guild with women embraces the whole sex—they are all engaged in the same trade. Even when they simply pass in the street they look at one another like Guelphs and Ghibililines: and when two women exchange compliments it sounds much more ludicrous then when two men do so. The reason for this may be that with women all differences in rank are far more precarious than they are with men, and can be altered or abolished much more quickly, whereas with men a hundred different considerations are involved. Because women are all in the same profession (competitors for the attentions of men), they all stand much closer to one another than men do, and consequently strive to emphasize differences in rank. -A. Schopenhauer.
Is it true that most women "compete"and do not like each other? If so, why? Indeed, it has frequently been proposed that females attach considerable importance to the appearance and physical attractiveness of themselves and members of their own gender in a manner that is not paralleled in males (Fenichel, 1953; Friday, 1977; Mitchell, 1936; Reich, 1945; Schopenhauer, 1970); and presumably this concern is based on insecurity, which in turn gives rise to feelings of dislike.
Women, young women in particular, often seem to be inordinately concerned about their physical appearance and beauty and may seem to be easily threatened by other women who are perceived as attractive. One need only peruse the advertisements of most any conventional woman's magazine to find exploitive evidence of this tremendous concern; the message being: "you need help", "be more beautiful!"
Men and women are highly interested in feminine beauty. However, the emphasis among women appears to be "competitive." Woman as concept, is a potentially marketable product aimed at potential customers. As product women thus need to be aware of the physical appeal and attractiveness of other women, and upon changing styles, fashions, and other decorations presented as "in" by the mass media; that is, if they are to successfully compete.
Nevertheless, do female competitors necessarily dislike each other? Although not addressing this particular issue, in attempting to explain sex differences in achievement motivation, Horner (1972) has inadvertently presented evidence indicating that women feel quite negative and hostile about other women, successful women in particular. In these studies, Horner asked women to write short stories about the following sentence: "After first term finals, Anne finds herself at the top of her medical school class." Over 60% of Horner's females respondents wrote threatened, negative, and hostile stories about "Anne,"dwelling on her femininity and personality (see Tresmer, 1974, for a review of over 60 similar studies). In contrast, men who wrote negative stories when presented with "John"in a similar situation, focused on the "success"but not the masculinity or personality of the subject. Some "characteristic"female responses to the above cue are exemplified by the following:
Anne looks like a telephone pole and has purple eyes. Anne is a person who is mental case which likes to cut up people (Monahan, Kuhn & Shaver, 1974, p. 63).
After hearing the news, Anne realized that she was the only one that deserved it. This proves how conceited our friend is. Everybody thinks she's a bitch. Anne cares only for herself (Monahan, et al. 1974).
Surprisingly, "Anne"was often described as a "bitch", "sick", "unpopular", "stupid", "unfeminine", "ugly", or "selfish", by presumably normal college women. Apparently "Anne"is posing some types of threat to these young females.” It is unlikely, however, that these young women were in fact threatened by "Anne's"success in medical school, for Horner (1972) found that these women responded similarly to the following cue: "Anne is sitting in a chair with a smile on her face." Some "characteristic"responses cited by Horner (1972) are exemplified by the following:
Anne is recollecting her conquest of the day. She has just stolen her ex-friend's boyfriend away, right before the high school senior prom because she wants to get back at her friend.
She is sitting in a chair smiling smugly because she has just achieved great satisfaction from the fact that she has hurt somebody's feelings.
As based on popular literature, the mass media, advertisements, experience in general, as well as from a perusal of the above responses, there certainly seems to be sound reasons for at least suspecting that many women do not like each other. However, it seems that a primary motive is competitive. Thus, many women express their dislike by finding fault with "other" women so as to presumably bolster their own self-image. They thus seem to be inordinately concerned about physical attractiveness, as well as identifying differences in quality and degree of physical appeal when interacting with other women, so as to make comparisons and thus compete. They are motivated to find fault with other women so as to ultimately reduce threat.
http://brainmind.com/Competition.html
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 3576
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 03:28 pm: |
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This is true. Women are natural competitors. That's why they even have to watch their best friend when it comes to their man. |
Mrs_hart
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mrs_hart
Post Number: 196
Registered: 01-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 03:51 pm: |
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In experiments 1 and 2, one sentence cues, depicting attractive individuals looking at their same sex counterparts, were distributed to males and females. Although the cues were in all other respects ambiguous, a number of males wrote responses attacking attractive males who look at other men. Many females, however, responded by writing responses which emphasized jealousy, fear, envy, insecurity and mistrust. |
Mrs_hart
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mrs_hart
Post Number: 197
Registered: 01-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 03:55 pm: |
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...it was hypothesized that women compete among themselves in regards to attractiveness and seek to find faults with particularly attractive women, because attractive females are threatening to the self-image
I see that alot on this board. I pasted this in order to put a mirror up to the faces of the people who have this mind-set. It's out of hand, and used as an excuse for not looking at their own limitations. |
Prettybabygirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Prettybabygirl
Post Number: 118
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 04:00 pm: |
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OK JENNY.
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Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 123
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 10:45 pm: |
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"...it was hypothesized that women compete among themselves in regards to attractiveness and seek to find faults with particularly attractive women, because attractive females are threatening to the self-image."
Can't argue with this. It's true form what I have been told. I have talked to numerous women about this particular subject and they said the same thing almost verbatim. Coming from the horses mouth I have no reason to question it. |
Renata
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Renata
Post Number: 559
Registered: 08-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 12:16 pm: |
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I personally have never experienced it.
More than competing with people in regards to attractiveness, I think I compare myself (unfairly) with more successful black women.
One big obstacle in my writing is that I self-edit myself to death, trying to write as well as Toni Morrison. How the hell am I going to write like her if I never finish the project? And if I finished, who's to say I would still be as good? Or I'll sew something, and be upset because it's not as good as what other girls here are sewing, but don't take into consideration that they were taught at a younger age and do it every day for profit. When I do almost anything, I compare myself to people who are successful at it, versus just doing it. I REALLY, REALLY need to stop doing that. Really. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 137
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 02:04 pm: |
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Renata wrote: "...I compare myself to people who are successful at it, versus just doing it. I REALLY, REALLY need to stop doing that. Really."
Why stop? You will perfect your craft through repetition, practice and ongoing analysis of those who inspire you. |
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 1551
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 03:06 pm: |
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Oh, get real! Guys do it too..... What about the obsession with turf wars and gang wars and Vietnam and Operation this...??? all because the next guy has a thicker, longer, more pleasant, more suckulent dyck.... Please!
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Mrs_hart
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mrs_hart
Post Number: 246
Registered: 01-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 11:10 am: |
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"Is it true that most women "compete"and do not like each other? If so, why? Indeed, it has frequently been proposed that females attach considerable importance to the appearance and physical attractiveness of themselves and members of their own gender in a manner that is not paralleled in males (Fenichel, 1953; Friday, 1977; Mitchell, 1936; Reich, 1945; Schopenhauer, 1970); and presumably this concern is based on insecurity, which in turn gives rise to feelings of dislike.
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Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 148
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 06:38 pm: |
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Tonya Wrote: Oh, get real! Guys do it too.....
### Do what????
What about the obsession with turf wars and gang wars and Vietnam and Operation this...???
### What about it? What does that have to do with envy and jealousy of a persons looks? And as far is Viet Nam or military operations is concerened, that's purely political. Looks has no bearing on the issue.
?...all because the next guy has a thicker, longer, more pleasant, more suckulent dyck...."
### Uhhhhh....well...you can't see another mans dick unless you are in a situation that merits bringing it out or exposing it. Never heard another man "put down" another guy because his dick was bigger. Have you?
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