You look gorgeous - I'm a complete mess. Nice shoes - Oh this? they're ancient. Great bag - Really? It's not even real leather. These are just examples of some of the likely responses you'll get when you compliment a female friend.

And it's not just with friends. At home, we cook a dinner and any compliments are brushed off with "It's nothing" Praise at work is usually met with "Anyone could have done it " or "I had lots of help".

It seems like women folks are incapable of taking compliments in their stride which begs the question
Are they excessively anxious about themselves that they can't believe anyone who says something nice to them without suspecting they are either lying, pitying or trying to get something out of them?
Or has compliment-dodging just become a way of conversation with them?

Here is what some experts have to say about it.

Psychologist Susan Quilliam says: 'Most women's knee-jerk reaction to a compliment is to think that the other person is just being nice, or feeling sorry for them.

'The second reaction is: "What do they want?" Most women are suspicious because they find it hard to believe nice things people say to them. It's a self-esteem thing.'

Psychologist Phillip Hodson, agrees: 'Women are very self-critical, especially when it comes to their bodies. They keep waiting for the day they're a perfect ten - only then will they be worthy of compliments.'

Men don't tend to have this problem. 'Compliments appeal to the men's main vice, which is to be big-headed and have an exaggerated sense of themselves,' says Hodson.
'It doesn't matter how tubby a man might be, if you tell him he's a fine figure of a man, he'll probably agree.'

Do we women really find it hard to accept compliments?