Remember the "Seinfeld" episode in which Jerry refuses to touch a pizza made by his girlfriend's father, Poppy, after seeing him leave the loo without washing his hands? Turns out, Poppy isn't the only male with poor bathroom hygiene. According to new research, men are less likely to wash their hands after doing their business, and show no regard for posted signs reminding them to do so.
Students at Pennsylvania State University conducted the study in public lavatories on the university's campus, observing patrons' reactions to signs reminding them to wash up. The signs prompted a 36 percent increase in female hand washing, but had no effect on men's bathroom behavior.
Women may be more susceptible to the social pressure of having another person in the restroom with them, says H. Durell Johnson, Ph.D., assistant professor of human development and family studies. But he also noted that women in the study washed up more than men even before the signs were posted. He chalked that up to women's propensity to stick more closely to social norms.
