Size
The average man's brain is 8–13% larger than that of the average woman.
But we are talking about absolute figures without recalculating body weight. Considering that the average height and weight of men is also higher, this is not surprising. Given the same parameters, there is a high probability that the brain will weigh the same. However, this is a case where size really doesn't matter. In men, the brain weighs on average 1.345 Reader in Gender Archeology kg, in women - 1.222 kg. An elephant's brain weighs 4.6 The elephant brain in numbers kg, but you are unlikely to consider it a serious opponent in an intellectual duel. By the way, Albert Einstein's brain weighed 1.23 kg.
Brain structure
Men on average A meta-analysis of sex differences in human brain structure have a larger volume and higher tissue density in the amygdala of the left hemisphere, hippocampus, cortex, and putamen. Certain areas of the brain are superior to similar areas in women only in volume or density.
The average woman, in turn, boasts a higher density of the frontal pole of the left hemisphere and superior volume of the frontal pole of the right hemisphere, the inferior and middle frontal gyri, the triangular part of the frontal lobe and more.
It would seem that such differences should lead to revolutionary conclusions, but everything remains at the level of unconfirmed assumptions.
For example, a woman is believed to be able to do a hundred things at once, while a man can only focus on one task at a time. The theory was based on the assumption of the Brain Connectivity Study Reveals Striking Differences Between Men and Women that women have better connections between the hemispheres of the brain, while in men neurons are more active in transmitting information within one hemisphere. But research has not confirmed this. Are women better than men at multi-tasking? . In an experiment involving 240 people, men even performed slightly better on multitasking tests than women.
It can definitely be said that men, on average, show the Influence of sex steroids on brain development better results in spatial orientation and performing tasks for rotating figures, while women are superior to them in memorizing objects and their localization. In addition, men are more aggressive and more prone to antisocial behavior.
Logic and emotions
Women on average have better memory than men, a larger vocabulary and higher speech activity. In addition, the fair sex has better developed emotional aspects of thinking. But men are able to more sensibly assess the surrounding reality, without complicating events with their anxieties, suspicions and subjective approach.
In any circumstances, a man pays attention to the quantitative, factual side of the issue, and a woman pays attention to the details and emotional overtones of events. For example, driving in a car through an unfamiliar city, the husband remembers the time periods spent on individual parts of the road, and his wife remembers various objects that can serve as landmarks (buildings, signs, etc.). Representatives of the sexes even show a sense of humor differently: a man is interested in the “salt” of an anecdote, while a woman prefers the story itself, which gradually reveals the meaning of a funny situation.
White and gray matter
There is also a difference in the distribution of white and gray matter. Gray matter represents information processing centers, and white matter represents the communication between these centers. Men have approximately 6.5 Intelligence In Men And Women Is A Gray And White Matter times more gray matter, and women have almost 10 times more white matter. Researchers suggest that this may be what determines men's success in solving math problems and women's verbal abilities.
Despite their differences, female and male brains have similar overall performance on broad measures of cognitive ability.
By the way, with mathematical abilities everything is not easy Culture, Gender, and Math. On average, boys are better at completing tasks than girls. But in countries that strive for equality, the average math ability of girls becomes at least the same. Therefore, the characteristics of gender socialization in this matter may be more important than the structure of the brain.
Vision
The retina of the human eye contains almost seven million “cone” receptors, which are responsible for the perception of color. The X chromosome is responsible for their action. Women have two of them, and the palette of colors they perceive is wider.
In conversation they use shades: “sea green”, “sand”, “light coffee”. Men talk about fundamental colors: red, white, blue. True, this does not explain why there are so few women who are brilliant artists. Women have developed peripheral vision. For some of them, it reaches 180º, and that is why women rarely miss side impacts when driving a car and can, without turning their heads, “count” a rival or keep an eye on a child.
A man’s brain provides tunnel vision, he “leads” the target, sees only what is in front of him, and is not distracted by trifles. It is because of the narrow field of vision that men often become victims of road accidents, and at home they cannot find oil in the refrigerator. But they see better at night and more accurately determine the distance to objects.
Brain activation patterns
Researchers have found differential activity in male and female brains when solving similar problems or responding to similar stimuli.
In one of the experiments, Brain activation during human navigation: gender-different neural networks as substrate of performance. The subjects had to find a way out of a virtual maze. MRI data showed that when solving problems in men, the hippocampus on the left, which is associated with context-sensitive memory, was activated. In women, the posterior parietal cortex, which is responsible for spatial perception and attention, and the prefrontal cortex of the right hemisphere, associated with episodic memory, were involved.
There is a difference Resting brain activity: Differences between genders in brain activity and at rest. Men's and women's brains organize their activities differently, which some Brain Connectivity researchers believe explains the difference in their behavior.
The vicissitudes of love
No matter how much we talk about matters of the heart, choosing a partner is the work of the brain. A study involving representatives of 37 cultures proved that the criteria for choosing a life partner have not changed for thousands of years.
For a man, the attractiveness of a partner is determined by the visual system. If he sees clear skin, thick hair, full lips and an hourglass figure, the brain will definitely approve of the picture with the release of testosterone.
The female brain is structured differently and reacts not only to appearance, but also calculates personal qualities. The question that is offensive to men about the type of their activity (earnings) is quite correct from the point of view of female nature: for young ladies it is important that their partner is able to provide for future children. Girls will take an interest in the financial situation of a potential chosen one, even if they are not currently focused on motherhood.
Innate tendencies associated with the brain
Scientists suggest that some behavioral traits associated with reproduction and survival may be innate rather than acquired, which means they are tied to the brain. For example, the experiment Sex differences in rhesus monkey toy preferences parallel those of children on monkeys showed that small males preferred toys with wheels, and small females preferred plush animals.
Similar results were obtained in the Preferences for 'Gender-typed' Toys in Boys and Girls Aged 9 to 32 Months study in a group of children aged 9 months to 2.5 years. According to scientists, at this age a child is still far from forming gender stereotypes.
However, the results of this study have been criticized. Firstly, there is no data at what age a child absorbs gender attitudes. Secondly, only 101 children participated in the experiment. As for monkeys, critics point out that although humans have a common ancestor with them, they are much more susceptible to the influence of external factors, not just biological ones, on their behavior.
Hearing
Women are better at distinguishing high-frequency sounds. A one-week-old girl can already identify the sound of her mother's voice and hears when another baby cries. Boys don't need that. Women are better than men at recognizing changes in tone and therefore know very well when men are lying. Men, on the other hand, specialize in the sounds of wild nature (this skill is not so necessary in the city) and “hear” directions perfectly. If a woman hears the kitten’s meow first, then it is the man who will indicate where to look for it.
Whose brain is better
Differences between male and female brains exist, but scientists do not fully understand what this means. And average characteristics are more important for science than for assessing the abilities of a specific person or a small group of people, since individual variability is higher than gender variability.
The difference between two random men can be greater than between one of them and a woman.
For clarity, an example with growth is suitable. On average, men are taller than women. But the Russian woman, at 180 cm tall, is already taller than most of her compatriots. And if a short man approaches her with the statement “You are a woman, that means you are shorter,” this will only cause bewilderment. This principle also works with brain abilities. Moreover, the typically “female” or “male” brain is found Sex beyond the genitalia: The human brain mosaic a little more often than unicorns.
In addition, when sexually classifying the brain, it is assumed that its development is influenced only by hormones, and each of its parts has a specific function that can be associated with men and women. But in both cases this is not true.
Firstly, the formation of the brain is influenced by A meta-analysis of sex differences in human brain structure experience and external circumstances, a person’s nutrition in childhood and many other factors, including gender socialization and gender stereotypes.
Secondly, the brain is still not fully understood, and scientists are not ready. Brain activity is too complicated for humans to decipher. Machines can decode it for us to divide it into areas with specific indications of how these areas affect behavior and abilities.
In terms of research, understanding the differences in the male and female brain helps improve the treatment of diseases related to the contents of the cranium. For example, women are more often diagnosed with depression, and men are more often diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Studying the differences between male and female brains should clarify why this happens and how to fix the situation.
Male and female brains - how they differ and what it affects...
The structure and weight of the brain vary by gender, but its cognitive abilities have virtually no effect.
Size
The average man's brain is 8-13% larger than the average woman's. But we are talking about absolute figures without recalculating body weight. Considering that the average height and weight of men is also higher, this is not surprising. Given the same parameters, there is a high probability that the brain will weigh the same.
However, this is a case where size really doesn't matter. In men, the brain weighs on average 1.345 kg, in women - 1.222 kg. An elephant's brain weighs 4.6 kg, but you are unlikely to consider it a serious opponent in an intellectual duel. By the way, Albert Einstein's brain weighed 1.23 kg.
Brain structure
Men, on average, have a larger volume and higher tissue density in the amygdala of the left hemisphere, hippocampus, cortex, and putamen. Certain areas of the brain are superior to similar areas in women only in volume or density.
The average woman, in turn, boasts a higher density of the frontal pole of the left hemisphere and superior volume of the frontal pole of the right hemisphere, the inferior and middle frontal gyri, the triangular part of the frontal lobe and more.
It would seem that such differences should lead to revolutionary conclusions, but everything remains at the level of unconfirmed assumptions.
For example, a woman is believed to be able to do a hundred things at once, while a man can only focus on one task at a time. The theory was based on the assumption that women have better connections between the hemispheres of the brain, while in men, neurons are more active in transmitting information within one hemisphere. But studies have not confirmed this. In an experiment involving 240 people, men even performed slightly better on multitasking tests than women.
We can definitely say that men, on average, show better results in spatial orientation and performing tasks for rotating figures, while women are superior to them in memorizing objects and their localization. In addition, men are more aggressive and more prone to antisocial behavior.
White and gray matter
There is also a difference in the distribution of white and gray matter. Gray matter represents information processing centers, and white matter represents the communication between these centers. Men have approximately 6.5 times more gray matter, and women have almost 10 times more white matter. Researchers suggest that this may be what determines men's success in solving math problems and women's verbal abilities.
Despite their differences, female and male brains have similar overall performance on broad measures of cognitive ability.
By the way, with mathematical abilities everything is not easy. On average, boys are better at completing tasks than girls. But in countries that strive for equality, the average math ability of girls becomes at least the same. Therefore, the characteristics of gender socialization in this matter may be more important than the structure of the brain.
More on the blog: Office fights without rules: how to win and survive
Brain activation patterns
Researchers have found differential activity in male and female brains when solving similar problems or responding to similar stimuli.
In one of the experiments, subjects had to find a way out of a virtual maze. MRI data showed that when solving problems in men, the hippocampus on the left, which is associated with context-sensitive memory, was activated. In women, the posterior parietal cortex, which is responsible for spatial perception and attention, and the prefrontal cortex of the right hemisphere, associated with episodic memory, were involved.
There is a difference in brain activity and resting state. The brains of men and women organize their activities differently, and this, according to some researchers, explains the difference in their behavior.
Synchronization of nervous activity
Scientists have studied cooperation patterns in men and women. Couples consisting of a man and a man, a woman and a woman, and men and women performed the same simple task. Synchronization of neural activity was higher in same-sex couples, but was observed in different areas in men and women.
Core of sexual dimorphism
This area is located in the hypothalamus and is responsible for sexual desire. In men, the core of sexual dimorphism is 2.5. times more than in women. Moreover, the gender difference in this matter appears only by the age of four and becomes obvious by the age of 6–10.
Innate tendencies associated with the brain
Scientists suggest that some behavioral traits associated with reproduction and survival may be innate rather than acquired, which means they are tied to the brain. For example, an experiment on monkeys showed that small males preferred toys with wheels, and small females preferred plush animals.
Similar results were obtained in a study of a group of children from 9 months to 2.5 years. According to scientists, at this age a child is still far from forming gender stereotypes.
More on the blog: There is a lot to learn from her - the wise thoughts of a 90-year-old woman
However, the results of this study have been criticized. Firstly, there is no data at what age a child absorbs gender attitudes. Secondly, only 101 children participated in the experiment. As for monkeys, critics point out that although humans have a common ancestor with them, they are much more susceptible to the influence of external factors, not just biological ones, on their behavior.
Whose brain is better
Differences between male and female brains exist, but scientists do not fully understand what this means. And average characteristics are more important for science than for assessing the abilities of a specific person or a small group of people, since individual variability is higher than gender variability.
The difference between two random men can be greater than between one of them and a woman.
For clarity, an example with growth is suitable. On average, men are taller than women. But the Russian woman, at 180 cm tall, is already taller than most of her compatriots. And if a short man approaches her with the statement “You are a woman, that means you are shorter,” this will only cause bewilderment. This principle also works with brain abilities. Moreover, the typical “female” or “male” brain is a little more common than unicorns.
In addition, when sexually classifying the brain, it is assumed that its development is influenced only by hormones, and each of its parts has a specific function that can be associated with men and women. But in both cases this is not true.
First, the formation of the brain is influenced by experience and external circumstances, a person’s nutrition in childhood and many other factors, including gender socialization and gender stereotypes.
Second, the brain is still not fully understood, and scientists are not ready to divide it into regions with specific indications of how these regions influence behavior and abilities.
In terms of research, understanding the differences in the male and female brain helps improve the treatment of diseases related to the contents of the cranium. For example, women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, while men are more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Studying the differences between male and female brains should clarify why this happens and how to fix the situation.
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