When tragic news hits our 24-hour media cycle, women tend to be more affected than men, according to researchers at University of Montreal.

Stress hormones and memory levels were measured in 60 subjects after reading news stories that ranged from normal to negative. Stress levels in women tended to be higher in those who read negative stories—more so than men. Women also tended to remember the details of the negative stories more than men.

“Although the news stories alone did not increase stress levels, they did make the women more reactive, affecting their physiological responses to later stressful situations,” according to lead author Marie-France Marin (in a HealthDay press release). “Moreover, the women were able to remember more of the details of the negative stories. It is interesting to note that we did not observe this phenomenon amongst [sic] the male participants.”

For more on the study, check out the press release here.

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