Male and Female Brains Really Are Built Differently

[xchrom]

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/male-and-female-brains-really-are-built-differently/281962/



Ready your knowing smirk, because here comes a scientific gem that’s sure to enliven even the dullest of holiday parties.

By analyzing the MRIs of 949 people aged 8 to 22, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania found that male brains have more connections within each hemisphere, while female brains are more interconnected between hemispheres.

Yes, take that, Mike from IT! It, like, so explains why you just dropped the eggnog while attempting to make flirty conversation with Janet from Accounting.

Just kidding; we still have no idea why men or women do anything in particular. But the study, released today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is interesting because it is one of the first to discover differences in the brain’s structural connectivity in a large sample size of people from a variety of age groups.

[Bonobo]

1. Evo-Psych!!! Nooooooooooooooooo!!!

It. Must. Not. Beeeeeeeeee!

[MadrasT]

9. Actually, this is neurobiology.

You know... real science.

[Bonobo]

10. Call it what you want.

I call it a hilarious slap in the face of anyone that claims that millions of years of evolution has not led to massive, measurable changes in the brains and thus the behaviors of men and women.

You know. Science.

[ismnotwasm]

43. Evo-psych is being discredited left and right

We already knew the male and female brains had differences. We still don't know what it means. It might be different neurological pathways to a same goal.

You know. Real science.

[Duer 157099]

44. Hmmm dunno... ask Sheldon what he thinks n/t

[Dash87]

13. This isn't evopsych - it actually uses science.

It's neuroscience. Evo-psych would be something like, "women's brains evolved this way because, in the tribe, relationships were important. On the other hand, men's brains evolved to hunt tigers" - baseless assumptions like that.

[Bonobo]

15. Then let me ask you a question.

Now that we have anatomical evidence to substantiate the fact that evolution has led to differences in men and women's brains, do you feel there is some justification to speculate on what sort of cultural or social advantages were offered by those anatomical differences?

[Cal33]

19. It's known that women tend to be more aware emotionally, and men to think

more logically. This is all relative, of course. My guess is that
both are needed to balance each other out? Mother Nature
usually knows what she is doing.

[Eleanors38]

26. I'd like to see Mother Nature's brain.

[Cal33]

34. Mother Nature is much more than an animal. Only animals have brains, the

rest of nature does not. Mother nature oversees the development
of brains, and helps them to evolve. She comes from a higher state
and created brains for animals to use. She, herself, is above the
brain level.

[Dash87]

42. Yes, but within reason.

Physiology is not destiny, which is unfortunately a forgotten concept when talking about differences amongst men and women.

I think we should be careful when using the term, "better." This isn't b/c of political correctness, but just b/c it's bad science and leads to assumptions. For example, from the article, it seems to imply that women are more social-minded than men in one area, but admits we don't know if the connections have an effect on behavior in another. These sweeping generalizations are always thrown out after "might be" to make assumptions and give them a false foundation.

The real question is, what causes these differences, and as the article wondered, do they have an effect on behavior?

[RadiationTherapy]

2. Left/right brain...

http://ideas.time.com/.../there-is-no-left-brainright.../

[In_The_Wind]

3. That makes everything perfectly clear.

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[Sheldon Cooper]

4. "a variety of age groups"?

Ages 8-22 isn't really a variety, is it? In fact, I was under the impression that the brain wasn't fully developed until around age 25.

[Orrex]

16. Even if that's the case...

It's interesting that such differences should be identified between male and female brains at any stage of development, assuming that they're comparing like-aged brains.

If these findings are in fact correct, and if the counter-assertion is that brains aren't wired differently after age 25 (or so), then I'd like to hear an explanation of why they are wired differently before that age.

[FarCenter]

38. Women also experience physiological changes to their brains during pregnancy.

So changes do not stop at 25.

[trof]

5. A book about this was published in 1992.

Brain Sex: The Real Difference Between Men and Women Paperback
by Anne Moir (Author) , David Jessel (Author) - August 1, 1992
http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Sex-Difference-Between-Women/dp/0385311834

Very interesting read.

[Le Taz Hot]

12. I thought I'd had this conversation with someone before.

I had a psychiatrist friend tell me about this. As I was ready this article I was thinking, "This isn't new." Thanks for confirming that.

[BainsBane]

46. Considering how far neuroimaging technology and brain science

has come since 1992, I would be very careful before believing any of its conclusions.

A precis to the study mentioned above:
http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/education/sex-differences-in-mathematics-and-reading-achievement-are-inversely-related

and a book that presents a counter argument:
http://io9.com/5651462/brain-scams-the-real-science-behind-sex-differences

[treestar]

6. So desperate to cling to the idea

that we are "wired" differently, people will hang onto anything. When the proof is, that once freed, women want to do all the things that men do.

[el_bryanto]

8. So you don't think this scientific experiment is valid?

On what grounds?

Bryant

[leeroysphitz]

11. On the grounds of...

La la la, I can't hear you, la la la.

[treestar]

20. It's always "scientific."

Yet we go out and do the same things men do and want the same things men want. I'm not inferior to any man or "different" in any way that justifies limiting my activities.

[el_bryanto]

21. That's an interesting argument

So you would argue that by suggesting that men and women are different this research also suggests that woman need to have their activities limited?

Bryant

[treestar]

27. that is usually the agenda

It always follows next that condescending, "ladies, you see you are hard wired differently, and that's why you prefer (situation most convenient to men being in control here)."

We are not different. We are humans. We want the same things, as proven by the fact we try to get them. When given the chance, we almost all went out to work, played more sports, did more art and music if talented, without giving it up upon marriage.

You could trot out right wing women who claim they want to be limited, I suppose, but they are a fading breed and they are simply not confident that they can overcome the sexist rules already in place - likely just afraid, or seeing some advantage - some people are manipulators (both men and women) and some women may be just fine with getting what they want via that method (which was traditional when wives stayed in their place).

[el_bryanto]

28. The problem with that is that it sort of curtails all studies into the differences between males

and females. I mean any such study could be used to suggest that woman belong in the home while men belong in the office - and probably would be. I'm sure that this study, as benign as it seems to me, will be trotted out by Limbaugh or Hannity or Beck to suggest that once again Men and Woman are different therefore we should go back to "traditional gender roles."

It seems a simple but flawed argument.

Men and women are clearly different biologically, therefore men and women should stick to "traditional gender roles."

The problem isn't that men and women are different biologically - they are. The problem is the assertion that somehow that difference implies that they must be stuck in traditional gender roles. Or that's my take on it. the problem isn't the assertion that men and women are different biologically - it's the therefore.

Bryant

[treestar]

29. Which was always obvious, and always used

So the idea our "brains are built differently" (is that really what the study suggests anyway?) seems ripe for such response. Our reproductive systems are clearly built differently, but women still insisted on working, having an equal say, etc. Now they are desperately looking for other less obvious "differences." And the brain is the one that is truly equal, which is why they've gone for finding some tiny little differences in it. Why else spend the money on such a study? It would hardly be to help resolve medical issues involving the brain. That's be so obscure compared to the studies they could do on women's health issues that are far more common.

[el_bryanto]

31. Well they are brain scientists (neurologists?) I am guessing - so they are probably not well suited

to switch over to women's health issues. That seems like a stretch - who else do you think should stop wasting their time and get to working on women's health issues?

Bryant

[Dreamer Tatum]

17. Then I take it you have a scientific rebuttal?

Please attach a pdf of your findings. I'm curious to see your research,

[treestar]

22. Look at the stats on working women

Or on the fact that once the 50s were over, women went out and did what they supposedly were not "wired" to do.

We are not wired differently. If we were, there would be at least a few things where it did not just happen to fit men's desires, convenience, and agenda. We just don't happen to want to work or achieve. We just happen to want sex with just one man! We just happen to want sex with the man who is just like the writer, we just don't know it (that we prefer old or geeky men with money or handsome men). If we would just follow our wiring! Then men could have it the way they want it without effort!

[Dreamer Tatum]

23. Oh...I see where you're coming from.

Sorry I asked.

[snooper2]

39. I know RIGHT!

I was talking about doing a simple exhaust mod to my bike in the break room just a while back and a couple ladies at work totally wanted to come over and help! Loud is awesome!

[Laelth]

7. Interesting. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[CorrectOfCenter]

14. Let me know when the scientific facts go away.

[gollygee]

18. To everyone going crazy

The issue isn't whether men's and women's brains are different. It's that people sometimes use stuff like this to reinforce gender stereotypes that have nothing to do with science. I'm fine with people following science where it leads. I'm not fine with people picking bits and pieces out of anything - science, religious texts, whatever - to just reinforce and create arguments to justify biases they have that are not based on science or religion.

[treestar]

24. Exactly.

The point of this study is to find some minor "difference" and then beat it for all its worth to make it mean something about how women just happen to want to live under the system where men are in charge. They've realized that merely being the ones to have babies didn't work. We still wanted out from under the heel of repression. Notice lately the studies how women just happen to want to put family ahead of career, etc.

[cthulu2016]

33. You know that is "the point" of the study?

These researchers set out to diminish women's rights through this sinister plot?

That's an amazing way to think.

[SoCalDem]

25. In an evolutionary sense

people's brains were "designed" long ago, to allow for survival of the species.

Except for a few notable examples, women's lives & activities have pretty much followed the "old ways" until quite recently...and in many places, not much at all.

The female of most any species is responsible for "launching" the next generation. It's perfectly understandable why her brain might be "wired" a bit differently from the male's brain.

Basic brain-wiring that is different does NOT mean that women cannot "DO" more than what the brain was initially needed to do, or that modernity expanded the possibilities, but basic functions of the female brain were set up eons ago..

[Iggo]

30. And so are our neener-neeners.

Know'm say'n?

[bhikkhu]

32. Statistically speaking. Individual differences probably exceed gender differences

...same if you look at race. The differences between individuals within a race are greater than the differences between races, and the conclusion is then drawn that race predicts nothing.

[gollygee]

35. I'm not sure what you mean here

But people are not genetically closer to people of the same race than people of other races.

http://www.pbs.org/race/000_About/002_04-about-01.htm That talks about an interesting documentary where students had their DNA compared with other students, and were asked to predict whose would be closest. They assumed people who were racially similar, and found that they were wrong.

[bhikkhu]

40. Exactly - individual differences are much greater than racial differences

and race predicts nothing. Or, as it has been put, the idea race is a "social construct" with no real objective basis.

In the same way, individual differences probably exceed any differences determined by gender, to the point that gender differences are essentially meaningless. You can have a statistical result, but that says nothing about any individual.

The tendency among people is to look at a person and believe that they know something; but in the great majority of cases, stereotypes are false. Physical form (including gender) tells you very little about the mind, very little about the individual.

[cthulu2016]

36. That is just wrong

The differences in height between individuals within a gender are greater than the differences in height between genders. (True)

Thus gender predicts nothing about height.

You won't need to study that for long to realize the conclusion is nonsense, even though there are many women much taller than some men.

[bhikkhu]

41. The critical thing is mind vs physical form

and one's mind does not determine, and is not determined by, one's physical form.

The genetics of gender do determine physical form, of course, and there are two unique types. The genetics that determine the brain are not categorically divided into male and female - characteristics are inherited from both parents, and these are both independent of physical form.

The hormonal differences of the two physical types likely have some result on the eventual form of the brain itself, but that's a far cry from having a "female brain" and a "male brain", with the same categorical division of "female body" and "male body". Each of us has a "human" brain, and the varieties available are not determined by gender.

[KurtNYC]

37. The differences between genders are often exaggerated and CW on brains

is fraught with myths. The differences that have been repeatedly observed:

- Male brains slightly larger but so are men's bodies.
- Male brain has more white matter, females more grey
- Cortex slightly thicker in females
- The third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus almost twice as large in men but no one knows what this part of the brain does.
- It is widely believed that the male brain is more prone to autism.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2013/oct/06/male-brain-versus-female-brain

It may be worth mentioning here that all human zygotes begin life essentially female. Out of 46 chromosomes only 2 determine gender, that is 4% of chromosomes. Further, the human male is capable of lactation and the nursing of offspring.

[ismnotwasm]

45. Yup

A form of estrogen triggers the testosterone needed for secondary male characteristics to develop. It's more complicated than that but still fascinating.

[Rex]

47. So are our bodies.

nt.