Women perceive angry men as less intelligent.

Recent studies suggest that personality traits, physical appearance, or behavior can be perceived in unexpected ways. For instance, a man's patronage can lead a woman to question his reliability, while responses to women's buttocks vary among different genders depending on cultural context.

Researchers from the University of Warsaw, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw (both in Poland), the University of Padua (Italy), and the University of New South Wales (Australia) investigated how women perceive the intelligence of their romantic partners based on the expression of anger. The findings of the study were published in the academic journal Evolutionary Psychology.

The authors surveyed 148 heterosexual couples, with women aged 18 to 74 and men aged 18 to 80. Each participant engaged in a private 45-minute conversation with the researchers to ensure that the romantic partner could not influence the dialogue.

The propensity for anger was measured using a standardized questionnaire, allowing respondents to self-assess. The researchers gauged the objective level of intelligence using Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices—a well-established test for fluid intelligence. Participants rated their perceived intelligence (both their own and that of their romantic partner) on a scale from 1 to 25 compared to others. To assess relationship satisfaction, a questionnaire was used to determine how well each partner felt their relationship needs were being met.

Ultimately, regardless of actual intelligence levels, relationship duration, or the number of past partners, women rated men who were more prone to anger as less intelligent. Additionally, both partners in couples with "tougher" men reported lower relationship satisfaction.

The authors of the article believe this research confirms that there is a certain compromise in relationships between intelligence and the ability to empathize, which is linked to the tendency for anger. If a partner exhibits high levels of anger and low levels of compassion, it appears to negatively affect the perception of their intelligence, regardless of objective measures. This distortion manifests and impacts overall relationship satisfaction for both individuals in the couple.