Losada initially thought that perhaps women were looking for such men in all the wrong places, and so rather bravely decided to spend time in a wide range of exclusively male environments.

She went from a raucous building site and a leather-clad Harley-Davidson club to the pin-stripes of the London stock exchange, a fast-track plumbing course, and a 'male bonding' stag weekend touting traditionally male activities such as 4x4 driving.

"What I found, much to my alarm, was that these predominately heterosexual men were actively choosing to be in all-male environments, and mainly because they don't particularly like women's company," she says.

"I did a lot of listening to these men and I found that most women are accused, somewhat justifiably I think, of whining, complaining, being demanding and having all kinds of emotional problems, 99% of which men perceive to be self-created.

"In essence, if a man works hard at work all week and it gets to Friday night, he is usually simply too tired to try to take on the complex psychology of a female and would rather go out with his male friends - it's just easier."

On the other hand, Losada points out that most women feel that the vast majority of men are disinclined to listen and make any time to discuss feelings and emotions, leading them to the often mistaken conclusion that men don't care or simply can't be bothered.

"Not so," Losada insists, "I honestly believe that we can start to change our entrenched perceptions of the opposite sex if both men and women can learn to understand the real differences.

"It then follows - fingers firmly crossed - that we will be able to communicate, and therefore love, better."