Scientists finally answer – are men's and women's brains different?
The phrase 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' when it comes to thinking does actually carry some weight, scientists have found.
A study showed gender does make a difference on how people behave and even think. The suggestion men and women's brains are somehow 'wired differently' has been debated for decades. And it has been argued nature by academics nature rather than biology determines how we think and feel.
But proof, which shows the inner workings of brains and their functions, has not been analysed until now. Scientists from Stanford University found telling the sexes apart is possible based on their activity in “hotspot” areas.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, published the findings which demonstrated there were key differences in the "default mode" of the brain. This, the study said, helps us process the idea of "self" and makes us able to remember memories.
Scientists from Stanford University found they could tell the sexes based on their activity (Getty Images/Westend61)Brain areas called the striatum and limbic systems are also impacted which learn and regulate emotions. In the past research has showed which brain is funnier, or has more of a sense of direction, and or is best at learning languages.
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Male brain
- Better drivers
- Funnier
- More impulsive
Although it is common for men to boast about being better drivers, research showed this could be accurate. Several studies have shown men are better than women using navigation skills. Researchers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign wanted to see if this was true.
They collected spatial navigation data among humans and 20 other species. A journal called the Royal Society Open Science, suggested men were better at finding their way home than women.
Aberystwyth University and the University of North Carolina scientists also looked at 28 studies on how funny 5,000 people were. They wanted to see if the sterotype of men being more amusing than women was true. Various studies were analysed which rated men's and women's humour - without revealing their gender. The results showed 63% of men were funnier than the average woman.
Men. however, were more likely to make impulsive decisions than females. A study by California Institute of Technology, showed testosterone levels could increase men's impulsiveness.
Men are more likely to make impulsive decisions than women (Getty Images)In a study by Sage, men were given a dose of testosterone before solving maths problems and brain teasers, which often required reflection before giving the correct answer. Men who hadn't been given testosterone did the same tests and researchers found those who received testosterone were more likely to stick to their answers.
Professor Colin Camerer, lead researcher, reckons increased testosterone impairs the brain’s ability to check itself. He said: “The testosterone is either inhibiting the process of mentally checking your work or increasing the intuitive feeling that ‘I’m right.”
Female brain
- Better at reading and writing
- Good long-term memory
- Better at learning languages
Girls are known to outsmart boys in the classroom, outperform them in GCSEs and outnumber men at many UK universities. Previous research from Australia has shown girls are better at reading and writing than boys. Griffith University scientists reviewed four million American high school students test scores over almost three decades.
The research team believed boys are more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability than girls. Issues such as inattentiveness in males may also contribute to this and show a difference in howmale and females use their brains.
Cambridge University researchers found female brains are more capable of remembering information than male brains. it carried out tests on around 4,500 men and women. Cognitive and physical performance was assessed. It strongly suggested women's memories function better than men and make fewer errors on a defined memory test than men.
A 2008 study of young learners at Northwestern University showed girls and boys process language differently.
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When learning a new language, it revealed girls’ brains show greater activity in language processing. Boys’ brains, meanwhile, showed activity in brain areas associated with visual and listening functions.
It suggested girls can process abstract language more easily but boys need 'sensory reinforcement' to process the data. This means they need to learn new works through touch.
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