Stressed men charge ahead, women not so.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Stress causes men and women to respond differently to decisionmaking, with men charging ahead for small rewards and women taking their time, according to a study in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Under stress, males and females also have different brain activation patterns during decisionmaking.

There might be advantages to both responses, especially in areas with the need to weigh short-term gain and long-term benefits, such as the stock market, health decisions, or retirement planning, suggests lead author Nichole Lighthall. "Men and women appear to think more similarly when they are not stressed. You should be aware of the way you are biased in your decisions."

For males under stress, playing a risk-taking...