While, of course, the tendency is not always a helpful one, the study has found that men are more likely to leap to "black-or-white" judgements. Women, on the other hand, tend to be open minded and "see more shades of grey".
In the study, 100 people were asked whether each of 50 objects fitted partially, fully or not at all into categories.
Women were 23 per cent more likely to select the "partial" option; their "indecisive" responses were to questions likely to stimulate debate, such as `Is paint a tool? `or` Is a tomato a fruit?`
Most men were happy to decide, for example, that a tomato is either a fruit or not, while women say it can `sort of` belong in the fruit category.
Dr Zachary Estes of Warwick University, who led the study, was quoted by the `Daily Mail` as saying, "Of course, simply because we have found a significant sex difference in how men and women categorise does not mean that one method is intrinsically better than the other.
"For instance, male doctors may be more likely to quickly and confidently diagnose a set of symptoms as a disease. Although this brings great advantages in treating diseases early, it obviously has massive disadvantages if the diagnosis is actually wrong."
He added: "Men, it would seem, are more suited to occupational environments that require decisive action whereas women are better at jobs where a considered approach is most important.